Necro - A Necromancer's Tale
by MayriahLee
Summary: Ann is caught up in a web of lies and deceit as her somewhat steady life turns inside out when she's attacked by rare, old creature's sent to kill her. Ann must now rely on those she distrusts and a power she loathes to save her life and the lives of those she loves in order to get to the bottom of what events set her life to chaos.
1. Chapter 1

**Chapter 1**

Rolling out of bed at eight in the morning is never a pleasant thing, but add in not getting home and into bed till three hours earlier, and it's a feat not even a supernatural creature could accomplish. Well, that may be a great exaggeration, but at least I get across how hard it is. I staggered across my room, my socks not exactly giving me grip on the hard wood floor, and out, down the stairs to our huge kitchen. I squinted into the sun light that came in through the skylight in the room. I smelt bacon, sausage, and biscuits and my stomach growled none too subtly and Papa turned to me, smiling as bright as the morning sun, his bright white teeth a stark contrast to his cooper skin.

"Morning, Ann," Papa said just as brightly as his smile, "Nice to see you are among the living this morning."

'_If only you knew_,' I thought as I trudged to the table, "Yeah, sure," I mumbled, "We're all happy, all so excited that I'm missing out on my wonderful, much needed 'beauty' sleep."

I heard a crack, a sizzle, and then the smell of eggs hit me, "Look," I said, "Can you just feed me? I have to get to work and I can't be late, so please don't lecture me on how I need more sleep or its negative effects on my 'gift'. I have work to do, Papa. You make you're living serving the dead. You support us doing something you love, others don't have a choice. I'm one of those people. So I get my work where I can."

"I wasn't going to lecture, Ann," Papa said calmly as he flipped an egg, "I was just going to feed you and ask how last night went. I know you know the lecture by heart now, so there's no point in it anymore. You're twenty now, I know you're old enough to decide what is best for you. I just get worried that you're pushing yourself too hard."

I sighed, now it all comes full circle to me, "I know I worry you, Papa, but sometimes I just don't have a choice in the work I take, you should know that. Being a Necro doesn't exactly give me a lot of options."

Papa flipped the egg again and then pulled it out, sitting it on a paper plate next to the stove. He opened the oven door and pulled out a tray of biscuits, using a black hot pad, and then sat it on the stove top next to the plate of bacon and sausage, "I understand," Papa sighed as he made a plate then came to sit across from me, "Now," he slid the plate across to me, "Tell me about your night."

O, boy. Last night, he just had to ask. I took a deep breath and began to eat, "It was okay, I guess," I said through my mouth full of food, "Nothing special."

Boy, okay was I lying like a cheap rug. Last night was anything but ok, not that I could tell him that. The rules were the rules; I couldn't break them even if I wanted to.

"_Rule one," Dragun said with his hand on my head as I knelt on one knee in front of him, "You may tell no one of your pledge to me and mine. Rule two, you may not pledge to any other nest until I release you from your pledge. Rule three, no matter what you are doing, or what is happening, you must come when I call on you. Rule four; you may not become sexually involved with any other nest member other than me or my second. Rule five; you may not use your gift unless I direct you otherwise. Do you understand these rules as they have been dictated to you by your Master?"_

"_Yes, Master Dragun," I said solemnly._

"_Do you accept these rules as they have been told to you?"_

"_Yes, Master Dragun," I said._

"_Then, Angel Seraph Noelle Reave," Dragun said and I felt the power of his words take hold of me, "You are now my Charge."_

_I rose and looked my vampire Master in the eyes, not afraid of this dead thing, but full of fury._

"_Leave," Dragun commanded with a wave of his hand, "Until I find a need for your gift."_

_I bowed respectfully, even though I wanted to spit in his face and tell him what he could do with his _pledge_ and _rules_, and left._

"What did you do this time?" Papa asked me, unaware of my reminiscing.

"O, the usual," I said as I drank the iced tea sat in front of me, "Just research and stuff."

"And what or who were you researching today?" Papa asked to pass the time as we ate.

"No one in particular," I replied as I finished off my last piece of bacon and biscuit.

Papa nodded, he knew he wasn't going to get much out of me, "Did you learn anything interesting?" he asked to keep up conversation.

"I guess you could call it that," I answered pulling up my feet into the seat, "He has a bat fetish."

Papa snorted his gravy and coughed as he tried to swallow his food and laugh at the same time, "As in the object or the animal?" Papa ventured when he could breathe.

"The animal," I replied calmly.

Papa laughed so hard he wasn't making a sound and I started to worry he wasn't breathing.

"Papa?" I asked, "Are you alright?"

He held up his hand and took a deep breath, still chuckling, "Yes," he smiled, "I'm fine."

I smiled and stood, stretching my taut muscles. I put my plate in the sink and turned to leave. Papa grabbed my wrist and I turned to him. He held out his arms to me, he always knew when I needed comfort, and I leaned into his chest, wrapping my arms around his broadness, "I love you, Angel," Papa said and kissed the top of my head.

"Love you, too, Papa," I said and pulled back, "I gotta go do some research, Papa. I'll be back late again, so don't wait up, 'k?"

"You be safe, you hear me?" Papa's voice took a dangerous tone I almost never heard him use and I couldn't help but smile.

"I always am," I smiled as I pulled his face down to my level to kiss his forehead, "You worry far too much. I think I can see a little gray, actually."

"And you're a dork," he said as he ruffled my dirty blonde hair, "Go on."

I shuffled my way up stairs to my room and my bed, walking away from it as it called me back into its comforting embrace. I grabbed my towel and clean clothes and walked across the hall to the bathroom. I turned on the water and moved to the mirror, pulling my shirt off as I went, and looked at the pathetic reflection that was mine. My dirty blonde hair was flat, thick, lighter brown then blonde really, my green eyes were dark, the color of old tree side moss, my skin was a tan, cooper, more the color of caramel, and I couldn't believe my eyes. I spun around to face my intruder. Luckily, I was in my sleep shorts and bra and not naked as I had planned to be, when I faced Shane. His tall, muscular frame seemed to take up all the space he occupied where he leaned against the door. His arms were crossed as he watched me, his eyes undressing what little clothing I had left on, his gray eyes memorizing every inch of my short, thin frame.

"Is there a reason you're here or just to make my day worse?" I questioned crossing my arms.

"Not particularly, no," Shane said, his Irish accent very prominent, as he stood and sauntered over to me, "Though I may come this way more often, I do love a show."

He reached up and stroked my bare shoulder, "You're lucky it's me and not Kayleb," Shane continued, "He so very much loves to torment you, you know. But Master Dragun thought it best for me to go. Wise choice don't you think?" he questioned as he trailed his hand up my neck, tucking my hair behind my ear.

I shoved his hand away from me with a look of disgust, "What does Dragun want?" I asked trying not to sound too pissed, "I just got my assignment last night, and it takes time for me to research this stuff."

Shane smirked and ruffled his hair, rearranging the short, gelled spikes, "He simply wished me to check on you, make sure the rules remained unbroken," he sighed as if this were something he's rather not be doing, "You know how he loves his rules and he wanted you to know you could use your gift as you wished on this assignment."

I sighed, put one hand on my hip and the other on my forehead, "Can you just leave?" I asked him as I looked at the floor, "Papa is right down stairs and I have to get to work. Tell Dragun to take a chill pill, I know what I'm doing."

Shane just huffed and then was gone, leaving only the whoosh of air rushing in to replace the room left in his departure. I breathed a sigh of relief and then proceeded with my shower. I got out twenty minutes later, dressed, grabbed my messenger bag, and went down stairs to tell Papa I was leaving. I heard voices just as I entered the mud room and call out to Papa. I suddenly felt very uneasy, an indicator that there was an undead or dead-reanimated near.

I walked into the living room and saw Papa talking to a man I had never seen in my life. He was tall, taller than Papa who was easily six foot seven. He had shoulder length white blonde hair and the blackest eyes I had ever seen. Then I smelt the death that seemed to cling to all undead and dead-reanimated. I froze and took in the man completely. I didn't like him at all; he wore black slacks, a white button down short sleeved shirt, black dress shoes with black socks, and a tie loosely hanging around his neck. Then the swirls appeared as I focused closer on him, black and gray mist that seemed to fade and reappear. He was a dead-reanimated and he was the vilest thing I'd ever seen, so evil it made my stomach queasy.

"Papa," I called as I started to double over, holding my stomach.

He was beside me faster than I could track his movement, "What is it?" he asked, straight to the point.

"Him," I barely managed to say, "He's wrong. Evil, dead-reanimated, so evil, Papa. I can't stand it!"

"Is there a problem, Andrew?" the corpse asked, "Can I be of any service?"

I felt my breakfast starting to come up and gagged, the smell was unbearable and I couldn't seem to breathe, "I need out," I breathed.

Papa took me by the arm and hauled me out of the house, ordering Corpse to stay put until he returned, "What was wrong, Angel?" Papa asked once we were out in the clear autumn air.

I took deep breaths, trying to purge my system of the toxin that was Corpse's stench, "That guy," I said, "He's a dead-reanimated, and he's so evil, Papa. How could you not feel it? It was seeping from his every pore; I couldn't breathe because so much of the stink was in the air."

Papa stared into the distance for a moment, trying to make sense of the situation, "He's a messenger," Papa said finally, "From your uncle, Quintyn. He had just arrived as you had come in."

"How could you not tell?" I questioned taking hold of the ornately crafted protection symbol Grandmother Reave had given me for my eighteenth birthday, "It was all but oozing off of him."

"I do not know, Ann," Papa replied solemnly as he turned and grabbed my shoulders, "Don't return home tonight. Find a place to stay, for now. I have to go visit your grandmother for a short time and I do not know how long this will take. But this," Papa took the hand that held the protection symbol in his hand, "Never take this off. Keep it with you no matter what. Am I understood?"

"Yes," I said, I was scared but knew what I had to do, "I love you, Andrew Edward Reave," I whispered as I took my tall Papa into a hug, "Be safe."

"I love you, Angel Seraph Noelle Reave," Papa whispered back as he held me tightly.

I pulled away and left, feeling dread slowly leach into my being. I was afraid for Papa's life because I knew without a doubt that he was in danger. But there was nothing I could do and that knowledge killed me.

The best thing I could do was go to school, try to relax and focus, and get through the day. I'd ask my friend, Clyve, if I could stay with him for the night. If it still wasn't safe to go home, I'd have go to Dragun's nest for shelter and living with vampires for an extended period of time was not what I would call a 'dream get away'. I sighed and readjusted my bag on my shoulder. I'd do what I had to do, there was no other option. I turned my thoughts away from that and focused on other things I had to do. I had a paper due at the end of the week for my literature class, a test in my choir class, and if I didn't hurry I was going to be late for my first class of the day, Intro to Art.

When I made it in, I was just barely in time. I sat my stuff to the far left of the room and arranged my tools just as Mr. Kismet came in. He told us today was a free day, but that what we created today would be taken as a grade. I smiled; art was one of the few places I was at peace. I cleared my mind of everything and began to free sketch. I didn't even hear time called and class dismissed until Mr. Kismet came to me and laid a hand on my shoulder, "Ann," he said in his rich Scottish accent, "Class is over. . . This is amazing."

Huh? I looked at my picture and saw what I had free sketched.

It was me, surrounded by red, purple, gold, and silver swirls of smoke, taking up all the background, holding my protection symbol out as an offering to the on looker, a smile on my face came across as determined, yet shy and unsure. All around me on the paper were figures, people I knew and some I didn't. Papa was there as well as Grandmother Reave, Shane, and Dragun. There were four others I did not recognize. One man, short blonde hair, gray-blue eyes, broad shoulders, slim waist, tall, had his arms wrapped around me almost as if he were protecting me from the other three people, but, his face held more than just a protective look, but also a longing, pained, caring look, as if something awful were going to happen to the girl he held and, through his expression, he was trying to tell the on looker this and it made my heart ache for his pain. There was a woman, tall, black hair, cooper colored skin, black eyes, slim waist, narrow shoulders, long legs, and a look that said she would kill you if you stood in her way. Two men stood on either side of her; both looked alike, flat brown hair, brown eyes, pale skin, broad shoulders, and thick muscled waist. But one looked away from the woman, though his twin was focused on nothing but her.

"I wasn't exactly paying any attention to what I was doing to be honest," I said quietly as my cheeks blushed, slipping the pencil in my mouth.

"I think it's some of your best work, Ann," Mr. Kismet patted my shoulder and his hand lingered a second or so longer then I was comfortable with.

Physical touch was not something I did with anyone except Papa.

Period.

"Um, thanks, Mr. Kismet," I mumbled, "Well, I have to get going, sir. See you tomorrow."

"Bye, Ann," he called after me as I rushed out, taking my sketch with me.

Lunch finally came around and I met up with Clyve. Clyve isn't your everyday guy; you know the type, blonde, blue-eyed, tan, tall, athletic. No, Clyve is thin, short, wiry, pale, black hair, brown eyes, not an athletic bone in his body, and his not into chicks. That's one of the great things I love about my best friend, he's completely and irreversibly gay. His boyfriend, on the other hand, is your average guy (average, that is, if you don't count his being gay). But they're both sweet and weren't the least bit shocked when I spilled the beans about being a necromancer (another awesome quality) and they are the only people that are allowed to tease me, at least not just to be cruel and hateful, they tease just for a laugh. Then it hit, I wouldn't be able to stay with Clyve. His boyfriend, Gaunter, had just moved in with him and from the complaints I've been hearing about tiredness from the both of them, I had no urge to _actually_ _know_ why they've had so many sleepless nights.

"Hey, you sexy thing!" Clyve shouted across the room at me and made me smile. I rushed over to them, clutching my sketch book to my chest, "How was Intro to A?" he asked when I ran up and hugged him.

"Funny you should ask that," I started when I was suddenly "bumped" into. I turned around to see one of the school's jocks, smiling as he held on to the cheerleader girlfriend, "You should say sorry, you know. It's polite, and I'm pretty sure, for the most part, we live in a semi-polite society."

"Oh, look," the cheerleader, Chacey, said as she rubbed against her boy toy, "She speaks, Robby. The little freak has a voice; I guess I owe you twenty bucks."

"I'm sure he'd easily take the money from elsewhere, Chacey," Gaunter smiled at her, "Just spread those pretty little legs of yours and he'd be just pleased as punch."

Chacey looked absolutely pissed for a few seconds, then Robby stood up for the poor creature he had to call a girlfriend, "Don't talk to my girl, faggot," Robby said, oh so intelligently.

"Why?" I scoffed under my breath, "He's into to dick, and even if he were straight, he defiantly would have better taste than Chacey's nasty ass snatch."

"Why don't we all just calm down," Clyve said gently walking between the two alphas before things went from just words, to physical altercations, "We'll just be on our way and you guys can go about your days."

"Mind your own, fudge packer," Robby sneered at Clyve, "I was talking to fag dick here. If I wanted your opinion, I'll go take a shit."

Clyve's eyes teared up, he was not the fighting type and words easily upset him. So this is when I had to step in, it was my fight anyways; I wasn't gonna let them duke it out for me, I'm a big girl after all.

"Robby, back off," I said evenly, as my fists clinched up at my sides, "There's no need for insults here. Just keep walking on your merry way and we'll get back to our, equally if not more, productive lives. I mean really, what do you accomplish by picking on a couple of gays and their freak best friend who would gladly kick your ass for so much as looking at them wrong?"

"Stay out of this, bitch," Chacey snapped, "This is between dick-sucker and my man, keep your slutty mouth out of this."

Okay, when I say I don't usually get in fights, I mean on the rare occasion someone doesn't piss me off by insulting my family or my friends. So when I tell that I was reaching my limit to not fight and punch the living shit out of that slut, I want you to realize just how angry I get, 'cause when I pulled back my fist and was about to let fly, I was aiming to do serious damage, ya know, breaking her pretty, fake nose and maybe even busting her fake lips open, too, just a thought. But something stopped me, I'm not sure what it was, maybe some understanding that wasn't reaching my fast- approaching-pissed-off-ness that we might be being watched by some higher power then my violence or maybe it was my Grandmother Reave's protection charm doing its job, whatever it was that stopped me, I'm glad I listened cause just about that time Robby swung at Gaunter. And then my choir teacher, Mr. Toque, came up to pull Robby off of Gaunter and sent him to the dean.

"Are you ok?" I asked as I rushed to Gaunter's side, "He didn't hurt you too bad did he?"

"My ego mostly," Gaunter huffed as he stood holding his nose so no blood would drip on his polo shirt, "I'll be fine."

Clyve was nearly in tears at the sight of Gaunter's bloody lip and nose, "Baby, are you alright?" he gushed gently pushing me aside so he could tend to his lover, "I'm so sorry I didn't do anything, sweetie. I should have done something!"

And now Clyve was in tears and it was Gaunter consoling his gentle, passive boyfriend, "Are you alright, Gaunter?" Mr. Toque asked him with Clyve under his arm, gently crying into his chest.

"Yes, sir," Gaunter said stiffly, holding his jaw with his free hand, "I'll be a little worse for wear, but all in all I'll survive."

"Good to hear, good to hear," Mr. Toque said then turned to me, "Miss Reave, could I talk to you in my office."

It was an order, not a suggestion, and I hated having to follow orders and not having a choice. So I followed him down the hall, two rights, and then a left, and entered in behind him, leaving the door open, just to make me comfortable.

"Could you shut the door please, Miss Reave," he asked, sitting on his desk.

I shut the door and my comfort level went down a few notches, "What did you need, sir?" I asked standing by the door.

Mr. Toque indicated to the seat in front of him and I slowly and reluctantly sat on the desk he indicated. Mr. Toque had shoulder length deep, brown hair, one blonde streak on the left side, light blue eyes, a red-brown goat-tee, and a lip ring. He was rather handsome, hot some of the girls would whisper back and forth in class. I could sort of see it, I guess, but I just could see why they would get all hot and bothered about him, sure he's rather attractive, maybe it's just that I wasn't really into the thought of a relationship of the physical kind. Mr. Toque wore a sleeveless, black button down shirt that showed off his well muscled arms and lose blue jeans.

"Are you alright, Miss Reave?" Mr. Toque asked as he stood and walked over to the desk I occupied.

"Yes," I answered shyly, "Why do you ask, sir?"

"I was just curious," he said as he leaned onto the desk, "You've seemed a little odd all morning is all."

"Odd, Mr. Toque?" I said confused as I began to bounce my leg nervously, "How do you mean?"

Mr. Toque reached up to tuck a strand of my loss hair behind my ear and I blushed, noticeably, "Out of sorts, so to speak," he said, its British accent wrapping around the words in the air playfully, "Are you sure you're alright? Mr. Kismet said you were a little strange in class today, so naturally I was worried."

"Why would you be worried, sir?" I asked leaning back in my chair, leaning away from Mr. Toque as unnoticeably as possible.

"I always worry for my students," he said leaning in more, "Especially, my favorites."

"I thought professors weren't supposed to have favorites?" I pointed out as more of a question then actual statement.

"It not that, per say," he said now only a few inches from me now, "We're just not supposed to show it, though at times I find it hard not to show it, especially to you, Ann."

The alarm on my watch rang, but Mr. Toque didn't seem like he was finished explaining just how much I was his "favorite", "Sir, I think I should go to class," I whispered. He was very close, too close for my comfort zone to be happy and my awkwardness with this was showing I was sure.

"I'm sure you could be late just this once," he hinted, as he stroked my exposed arm, sending chills through my entire body. Not good chills, God no. Those terrified-bunny, deer-in-head-lights chills. The kind of chills that both froze my heart and sent it into overdrive at the same time. The kind that made my stomach turn.

Mr. Toque took advantage of my surprise and leaned in to softly brush his lips to mine and then lean in for a full kiss. I was so shocked, I didn't do anything for a full four seconds (yes, I counted) then without warning I pushed away from him and ran out, "I'm sorry, Mr. Toque, I have to get to class," I called behind me as I bolted out the door and into the hallway.

I didn't stop till I was out of the building and in the courtyard. There, I sat at a bench and breathed deeply, trying to catch my breath and sort out the events that had just occurred all at once. I was in shock; I had never expected Mr. Toque to be like that.

My heart was racing and now the thought of going back to the class, without a friend with me, I was a little nerve-racking. Where had this come from? I couldn't understand it; this was why I didn't date, people were very strange and I didn't always understand them or their intentions.

I let out a slow, long breath, unsure of how to proceed after the incident. I was shaky, jittery with shock and uncertainty. I leaned back and straightened my spin, it didn't matter anymore. What was passed was passed, and there wasn't anything I could do to change it, so I just took a deep breath and stood. I walked back inside the building and headed to my class.

"Miss Reave," Professor Johnson said as I walked in, clearly peeved that I had interrupted her class during her lecture, "So nice of you to join us today. Is there a reason I shouldn't kick you out right now?"

"I was with Mr. Toque," I said quietly, "He needed me to help him something during lunch and it ran into class, I'm sorry. I promise I won't let it happen again."

Boy, did I never want to let it happen again.

Professor Johnson sighed and gestured to the rows in front of her, "Take a seat and I'll make a call," she said.

I ducked my head as I claimed the steps to my usual seat as the professor moved to her desk and pulled out her cell phone. She turned her back to us and murmured to the phone. She sighed, "Well, next time you're going borrow one of my students, let me know ahead of time," the professor said angrily then closed her phone.

The rest of the class went by in a blur. I tried to pay attention, honest I really did, but it was hopeless as recent events that had passed too quickly for me to filter, putting me in shock. I didn't even notice when Mr. Toque passed by me and brushed his hand across my lower back as he walked between me and the wall in the hall. I blushed when he turned around and smiled a knowing smile in my direction with a wink.

"What was that about?" Clyve asked and made me jump.

"Dear God, Clyve," I gasped, holding my chest half dramatically and half trying to slow my pounding heart, "Are you trying to give me a heart attack!"

Clyve giggled, which sounded exceptionally feminine when I wasn't looking at him, "Sorry," he chuckled as he put an arm around my shoulder, "Are you alright? You seem a little jumpy."

I tried to smile, attempting to fake that I was totally fine, "I'm great," I said over cheerfully.

"You suck at lying, Ann," Clyve smiled, I knew he wouldn't buy it, "What's up?"

Mr. Toque past by us at that moment and paused for a second, looking at me sideways, "It's nothing, honest," I smiled genuinely, putting my arm around his middle, "I'm just fine. Now, let's get going, I'm done with my classes for today and I want to go home."

Clyve got that look on his face and I knew I wasn't going to have a partner to walk with, "The thing is," Clyve said apologetically as he let his hand fall from my shoulder, putting it on the back of his head, "Gaunter and I were going out tonight, as in right after he gets out of class, and we were going to eat out."

Clyve blushed as he explained and I realized I had totally forgotten what today was. "Oh my God!" I exclaimed as I looked him and grabbed his arms, "I totally forgot! I'm so sorry! Happy anniversary!"

Clyve blushed harder and ducked his, "Thanks," he said shyly.

"Clyve!" Gaunter called from across the courtyard, waving his hand wildly toward us.

We both waved back as he ran across to us. When he reached us I jumped up to hug his massive body, "Happy anniversary, Gaunter!" I cried happily, let go, and dropped to the ground, "So, what do you guys have planned for tonight, some romantic getaway?"

Gaunter laughed when he saw Clyve's reddened face and pulled his lover into his arms, kissing him full on the mouth, "Yes," Gaunter smiled as he looked Clyve in the eyes, "I plan on taking up his whole night."

I blushed and turned away as Clyve pulled closer to Gaunter and kissed him, "Well," I said as I kept my eyes averted and saw Mr. Toque, "I better get going. I don't wanna take up all the time of your special night."

I turned around and they were only focused on each other. I chuckled to myself as I walked off holding my sketch book close to me. I had to make sure no one followed me before I could make my way to Master Dragun's. I gritted my teeth; he wasn't my master no matter how much he wanted to think he was. Just because I had some control over them, he thought he had every right to have complete control of me, I don't think so! I was the only one with power over me and it was gonna stay that way if I had anything to do with it. I was going to pay back my debt I owed him, and then I was going to have nothing to with those filthy undead creatures for as long as I lived.

I hung my head as guilt filled me up. It was my fault I owed him, I hated to admit it. If I hadn't been trying to prove something, my stupid pride wouldn't have gotten me into the hole I'm in now. Stupid pride, I chided myself, stupid me for listening to it. But I paid for it, if I hadn't tried to raise that body, just to prove that I could, I wouldn't have accidentally raised a vampire. Then I wouldn't have had to have called out for help with my curse and I wouldn't have wound up calling a (you guessed it) vampire to my rescue. Damn me and my pride.

I tripped over a rut in the side walk and came back to reality in time to realize that something was following me, and it wasn't human. I tried not to acknowledge that I had sensed them behind me, but I knew that I had given it away somehow. I tripped again and fell to the ground, my sketch book skirting across the concerted path way that caused the disruption of my equilibrium. I cried out as the palms of my hands skid across the hot, rough concert in an effort to stop my fall or at least to cushion it somewhat. Then my knees and right thigh made contact with the side walk as I rolled to my side to take the buff of the fall on my leg. I hurt like hell and I hissed loudly, trying to breathe away the sting that picked at my wounded hands.

"Hey, are you alright?" a male voice said as I sat on the side walk holding my hands.

"Yeah, I'm ok," I said through gritted teeth.

"You know," the man said with a smile in his voice, "You kinda suck at lying."

I chuckled, "Yeah, I get told that a lot," I informed him with a smile.

I watched him pass in front of me through my long hair as he went to retrieve my strewn possessions, "Wow," I heard his voice full of amazement, "This is really beautiful. Did you do all of these?"

I looked away from his feet and down to the side walk sheepishly, my face blushing again (I had been doing that _way_ too much of late), "Yeah," I said more firmly then I thought I was capably at that moment, "I drew them. There things I see, in my dreams I mean."

"You have some pretty strange dreams," he laughed as he walked back to me and crouched down in front of me.

You don't know the half of it, I thought with a grimace, "Yeah, I know," I said as I stood and assessed the damage. My pants were pretty dirty (they had taken the blunt of the fall), my new tennis shoes were scuffed up a little, and my hand were scraped up pretty badly, with little pieces of pebble in them, "Yup, that hurts a lot," I said through my teeth as I brushed my hands against my thighs to remove the bulk of the tiny stones embedded in my flesh.

I looked up to say thank you to the strange man that had helped me but found that his attention was fixated on my sketch book. He looked vaguely familiar, but I couldn't seem to place him in my mind. I became suddenly very worried, was there something in there that had somehow offended him? Wow, was I really worried how he felt about my art?

"How long have you known?" he asked with little to no emotion in his deep voice.

"What are you talking about?" I asked reaching for my sketch book, but he wouldn't release it.

"This picture," he turned the yellowed pages so that I could see which drawing he was so focused on, "When did you draw it?"

I looked at it, it was the free sketch I did in art, and the one Mr. Kismet liked so much. Then everything came into place.

The man I drew in the picture the one with storm gray eyes that held such a fierce emotion that I couldn't place, looked exactly like the man that now stood before me. I looked up from the picture to the man then back down to the picture and back up at him, it was impossible. I had never seen this guy in my life, yet here was a perfect replica of _his_ features drawn in _my _sketch book.

I couldn't explain it as I stared at the art work, open mouthed like a fish drowning in air. I couldn't understand how it was possible, because it just wasn't. It couldn't possibly be possible (so says the girl that can raise and command the dead (which was also supposed to be impossible!))! I took my work from him and closed it, pulling close to my chest, "I drew it today, in class," I mumbled, not looking him in the eyes, (gray like the Arkansas sky in summer just before a big thunder storm), "We had a free day, but our work was still going to count for a grade, so I just free sketched."

He gave me an odd look, like nothing I was saying made any sense whatsoever so I sighed, "Free sketching, for me anyways, is when I completely shut off my mind and just let my hands move on their own accord. I wouldn't have even noticed what I had drawn this until my professor commented on it."

"I know what free sketching is, angel," the man said with a smile.

My face flashed up at him, shock in my eyes, a second or two before I realized that he wasn't using my name. But he had an odd look on his face as he looked off just to my left, reaching out to touch the air about six inches off my shoulder. I felt myself pale and my face become grave.

"What are you talking about?" I asked in a voice far too small to make me comfortable.

"I can see your wings," he whispered, "They're beautiful, red, like rose petals."

I started to shake, nervous at his closeness and observation, "If you'll excuse me," I said in such a little voice I didn't know if he could hear me at all, "I need to be going."

"What is your name, little Seraph," he whispered, his gray eyes meeting my dark green ones.

"You've guessed half of them already," I heard myself say barely above a whisper, "I can't tell you anymore, save that I am Angel. But everyone calls me Ann, because I'm nothing close to an angel."

"Angel," the man whispered, "I'll be seeing you, Angel Seraph."

I was so stunned after he walked off, never looking back at me, that it was only much later till I realized I hadn't gotten the strangers name until he was far out of sight. He was amazing, short blonde hair, storm gray eyes, tan-ish skin, broad shoulders, thick waist, strong legs; I couldn't believe my fate in this. And what was that crap about me being an angel and having rose red wings? I didn't understand so I stood there, staring at the man as he walked off into the haze of city. I didn't realize it at that moment, but he had me like a kid had lightning bug in a glass jar, captured and captivated.


	2. Chapter 2

**Chapter 2**

When your mind is filled with nothing but the thoughts of one person, it's really hard to focus on other things, say like walking in a straight line on the side walk, not almost getting hit by a car, or protecting your thoughts from vampires.

All the way to Dragun's nest, that stranger was all I could think about. His beautiful pale blonde hair, his storm gray eyes, that long scar over his right eye, his tan skin, his strong face, these things all filled my mind as I entered the warehouse where the master vampire and his nest slept in the day time hours. I think, somewhere in the back of my mind, I knew I should be shielding my thoughts, but it never really hit me until I saw the look on Dragun's face as I bowed in front of him.

"And who just might be that handsome fellow?" Dragun asked me in his dreary, clear voice with a sly smile on his face.

My face reddened and I instantly closed a steel wall around my mind, "No one," I said simply as I diverted my eyes from his. I was all but shouting my thoughts in the air.

He chuckled, "I think not, Angel Seraph Noelle Reave," he said not amused now at the sight of my distaste to him using my full name, "Does it bother you, Angel Seraph Noelle Reave, my using this power over you?"

I bit the inside of my cheek, refusing to speak. He knew the answer already, there was no point asking me, he just loved to make me suffer. It was part of my punishment for having him save my ass that "fateful" night in the cemetery. I turned my face rudely away from him, it was childish, I know, but I was angry, I don't exactly respond well to angry.

"You will look at me when I am speaking to you," Dragun said as he tried to charm me, which I was immune to it.

"I will do as I please," I said trying not to sound as pissed as I felt, "The only reason I am here is because I seek shelter. It is unsafe for me to return home, and I need a safe haven for a night and day, no more."

Dragun didn't say anything for a long while and I began to think he would refuse me. He put his finger to his lips and grinned almost evilly, "You may stay for one day and one night," Dragun said and I felt myself let out a breath I didn't know that I was holding, "On the condition that you lay with me this night."

"No!" was out of my mouth before I could even register that what he had said, "I will not sleep with you in exchange for a haven. I refuse! I will find shelter elsewhere!"

Dragun moved faster than I could track and I knew before he reached me that I had just seriously fucked myself over sideways six ways to next Sunday. Dragun held me by the throat, gently, as he pulled me into his face, forcing me to look into his eyes. They were an icy green I knew had to be fake, if they had been a humans eyes, but he was an old, powerful master vamp and I knew he could do whatever the hell he damn well felt like doing to his body if he so felt the urge. I felt his power roll over my skin like thick, humid Arkansas summer air in the middle of August after a heavy rain, but as I held his stare I felt no impulse to do anything but spit in his face, "You will sleep with me this night, in exchange for a safe haven," Dragun said in a voice that demanded to be obeyed.

"You can go fuck yourself," I managed to say through my rage, "I'll never sleep with you, not in a million years, not for anything in the world."

Dragun's eyes turned blood red and his hand tightened painfully around my throat and I involuntarily cried out at the pain. I gripped his wrist with my small hands, trying feudal to make him release me, "Dragun," I said in a small voice, "You're hurting me. Let go!"

I saw the muscles in his biceps flex and my body tensed in anticipation for my throat to be crushed, but all I felt was cold and the sensation of falling as Dragun released me to let me fall to the floor, coughing and holding my neck, "You will spend this night in my chambers," Dragun said with no room to argue in his words as he left, his long brown hair trailing behind his tall, slender build and he left the room.

I lay there stunned, I knew I had to obey him, if I wanted to live that was. But I'd rather be dead than sleep with a vampire. If he was going to force me, I was going to kill him. I barked a strangled laugh at that thought, grimacing at the pain of that act. Yeah, me, kill a master vampire? Me thinks not, not a chance in hell! But I wasn't just gonna lay there and be raped. I sat there on the cool concrete floor of the warehouse and contemplated my options, which I knew I didn't have a lot of options, but a girl's gotta do what a girl's gotta do.

I stood and walked out of the dark, gloomy room and out to the hall that led to the rooms Dragun had had his men build. Mine was one of the far back ones. I opened the soundless door and walked into a room made for sex and whores. I frowned, not my ideal location. I walked in and dropped my things next to the bed in the farthest part of the room. The room walls were a deep, warm red and the bed was red and black cotton, all fitted to make the bed perfect and comfortable. I sighed and dropped to the bed, suddenly very tired from the day's excursions, too tired to argue when Shane came in and lay in the bed beside me.

His smile, which was meant to charm me out of my clothes I was sure, only succeeded in making me more furious, "Hello, beautiful," Shane said quietly as he ran his hand down my chest. I was suddenly very glad that I wore my green quarter sleeved shirt with my white tank top under it and my dark blue jeans, because Shane's trailing fingers would have been in my cleavage at that moment had I not worn it.

"What do you want, Shane," I demanded pushing his hand away, "I'm not in the mood for your crap today."

"Touché," Shane smirked while he put his hand even further down my body than it had been, "I like it when a girl gets rough."

I turned my gaze to him, freezing his hand in place when he saw my anger, "I said I'm not in the mood for your crap today, Shane," I said through my teeth, "Get out, before I make you get out."

Shane paused, just for a second, and then continued to trace circles on my inner thigh, far too close to my womanly parts for me to be comfortable, so I sat up and slapped his hand away, "What is your problem, Shane!" I shouted, "Leave me the hell alone. The next time you touch me, I will hurt you."

Shane smirked and followed me off the bed, backing me into a corner, I realized, as my back hit the wall. Shane brought his hand up and lightly touched my cheek with the back of his knuckles, making a shiver run down my back. I liked the way his skin felt on my shin, and I didn't really want him to stop stroking my cheek so soothingly.

I turned my mouth to his hand, and bit down on his fingers as hard as I could. He shouted and pulled back his hand, shaking it out to the side, "What the hell, Ann!" Shane exclaimed looking at me like I was crazy, "Why the hell did you just bite me!"

"I told you not to touch me or I would hurt you," I said calmly, "I don't believe in empty threats. Now, what the hell are you doing in here? If you're here to 'prim' me for Dragun, I'll save you some time, don't. I'm not going to have sex with that monster."

"So nice to see that my children love me," came Dragun's cool voice from beside me and I jumped, moving as fast as could to hide behind Shane's large body, "Come now, Angel, I do believe we had a deal."

"I will _not_ sleep with you, Dragun," I spat at him as I peeked out from behind Shane, "No way in hell."

Dragun waved his hand and Shane stepped aside. I was out in the open, defying a master vampire with no hope of getting help. Then Dragun was in front of me and I stumbled back onto the bed trying to get away from him. Dragun leaned down over me, pinning me to the bed and without meaning to, I stared him right in the eyes. They were the same color as mine now and I couldn't look away, "Come now, Angel," Dragun said, voice calm and cool and soothing and all the things that made a woman weak in the knees, "Surely we can have some kind of compromise. I know why you do not wish to lay with me, but we must find something you are willing to do. Can you think of anything, Angel Seraph, or shall I make suggestions?"

I couldn't speak, my words were held in my throat with fear and desire, though I would never admit the last to him, so Dragun continued to speak, "Alright," he said, his eyes alight with pleasure and amusement and I knew he knew the truth, "Since you are so _innocent_, you will not have to lay with me this night. Instead, we will share blood. Does this sound fair to you?"

I knew I had to speak; it was the only reasonable deal I was going to get, so what could I say? No? So, I did the only thing I could think of. I closed my eyes and nodded, fighting the urge to burst into tears. That wouldn't do at all if I was intending on getting through this night with my reputation and dignity intact.

"Very good," Dragun smiled and leaned in to brush his lips against my neck and I shivered at the coolness. I didn't like it; this was too weird for me. I didn't want to do this! It was wrong! So wrong! I couldn't, I just couldn't sit here and let this happen. I leaned into his neck and bit down as hard as I could. I felt hot liquid run down my face and throat then the taste of copper and iron tinted blood. I gagged on Dragun's blood as it burned in my throat, but I held my grip. Dragun's moans filled my ears and I felt him pull my closer, holding me tightly, "Yes, Angel Seraph Noelle Reave," Dragun moaned into my ear, "Yes, drink, my little angel of death, drink your fill."

I pulled off him and tried to get away from him, gagging and cough on his blood, what little I had had to swallow, but he held me tightly to him, "Let go of me, Dragun," I said with my best commanding voice, but I could feel his lips caressing my neck and his teeth scrapped against my delicate skin.

But I knew I sounded like I wasn't serious, because even though I said I wanted him off of me, I didn't want him to stop. Yet I still couldn't find the strength to push him off of me, aside from the fact that he was immensely stronger than I was. I could feel his fangs extend and touch my flesh, and then they pierced my neck. I cried out, but it wasn't from pain, oh no, not pain. As he fed from me, I thought I would die as pleasure ripped through my entire being. I felt him hardening against my inner thigh and I couldn't help but rub against him. It was like the purest ecstasy I'd never felt and I screamed as I pulled Dragun closer to me.

When he pulled off of me, I let out a cry, not wanting to lose the feeling but feeling disgusted with myself, pretty much letting myself get raped, in a sense. Dragun looked down at me, running his hand through my blood soaked hair, cleaning it as he went, and smiled, "My angel of death," he whispered, "You are truly unique."

He closed his eyes and licked his teeth clean of my blood, a look of pleasure crossing his face as he shook, "Leave," I ordered in a whispered voice as I lay there, drained of all energy, "Just leave, Dragun, you got what you wanted."

Dragun leaned down, his lips at my ear, "No, little cherub," he whispered, licking my wounds which made me moan, "Not even close."

Then he was gone and I was left alone on the bed, curled in a ball of shame. I couldn't believe had just let a vampire feed off me. I felt tears run down my cheeks and I began to shake as I cried, screaming, in my shame.

"I never really understood you, Ann," Shane's voice said from a corner of the room and I sat up too fast, getting dizzy and seeing spots, "Easy now."

Shane was by my side holding me steady so I wouldn't faint, "Did you see that?" I asked my voice weak and cracking.

Shane didn't say anything as he made me lay down on the bed, helping undress me (at that point I didn't really care, though I knew I would in the morning), "You need to rest," Shane avoided the previous question (smart of him) as he pulled the black cotton sheet over my shivering body, "I'll be back in the morning with some food and I'll have someone outside your door at all times."

I didn't say anything back, though I knew I should thank him. I just couldn't make myself do anything but wallow in my misery. I felt pathetic. I had let that monster feed on me. Disgusting. I gagged, but I knew none of the blood would come up no matter how much I vomited. His blood was in my system for good, or at least until his demise. There was no escaping the power my blood game him over me now.

Shane opened the door to my room and stopped, turning his head, "I'm sorry, Angel," he whispered, "I know I should have done something, and I couldn't, so, I'm sorry."

He closed the door and left me in peace, "Thank you, Shane Thomas Grimm," I whispered and knew he would hear me. The power of names was a magnificent tool.

_I was running through trees, the low lying branches catching my face and my hair that was rolled into dread locks. My bone necklaces jangled on my neck as I ran for my life, I had to find a place to hide and wait for him. I spotted a tree with roots that formed a small cave like structure and I darted into it, my turquoise blue, knee length tunic catching on the roots that jutted out of the existing ones, ripping the thick fabric. I ducked down as I watched them run by with torches, all looking around for me. I pushed myself against the sheltering roots to hide from the fire light that illuminated their paths and I listened as they spook in a language I had never heard before. I just had to wait long enough for him to catch up with me and find me; I just had to have faith. I was trying to catch my breath as quietly as possible as I heard them begin to search around my hide out and I slapped my hand across my mouth to keep my voice from crying out as fear gripped me. They were going find me, I just knew it._

_I heard yelling, something had surprised them and they were fighting it off. I wanted to look and see what was potentially saving my life, but I didn't want to risk being seen by someone. I heard screams as the men were being slaughtered and tears ran down my face, if whatever was after them was killing them, I'd be gone before I could look into the eyes of whatever beast had appeared. Then it struck me, I could raise a protector, but it would cost dearly and I ran the risk of them finding me. But what else could I do? Sit here and wait for my death? That wasn't an option. _

_I closed my eyes and bid my time, hoping that whatever was out there would be satisfied with the men that were after me. I didn't want to raise anything, I hated it, but if it came down to living or dying, I would do whatever I had to survive. I heard one last scream then the forest was silent, unnaturally silent, and I knew without a doubt that what was out there knew I was in here. I held my breath, holding back the cries that threatened to escape my lips. I heard a snap just outside of the entrance and knew it was too late to raise anything, I was going to die. _

_Then a bright light filled the root structure and I opened my eyes to see the most beautiful creature I had ever laid eyes on. He stood before me, clad in nothing but a black fur loin cloth. His hair was a color I had only seen once, like faded sun light, and longer than mine, his eyes were the color of purest ice. He was beautiful and I couldn't take my eyes from him, then I saw where the light was coming from. On his back were immense wings, the feather matching his hair, folded so that he could stand in the rooted entrance. I knew he would not do me harm, how I was unsure, but I knew. He was who I had been waiting for to save me, I knew with stone strong certainty. _

"_Who are you?" I asked quietly staying as far away as possible._

"_You know me, Spirit Keeper," the man's voice was like warm honey and sunlight, "We know each other, as we have known each other in past lives, as we will know each other again in our next life."_

"_What is your name?" I called to him as he turned and began to walk away, "Can I not know your name?"_

_He turned to me as he spread his wings wide, "You already know it, Spirit Keeper," he said just above a whisper. Then, with a great thrust of his wings, he was gone, consumed by the late sunlight that spilled through the trees._

_I watched the place where he had disappeared into in the trees and without thinking whispered, "Gabriel," and it fit him perfectly._

I was jolted awake by the slamming of my door and I sat up, ready to defend myself, "Easy there, tiger," Shane said as he walked to me carrying a tray of food, "It's just me. I come baring gifts, so don't kill me."

I couldn't help but laugh, wincing afterwards, Dragun choking me had been rough on my fragile windpipe, "You're so ridiculous," I sighed and lay back in the bed, "What 'gifts' do you bring?"

"Food," he said and my stomach grumbled and he laughed, sitting the tray in my lap.

"Thank God!" I exclaimed and began to devour the food as quickly as possible, barely tasting it.

"What were you dreaming about?" Shane asked as I took a drink of the apple juice that sat on the corner of the tray.

I stopped mid sallow and looked him straight in the eyes, "Why?" I asked sound as hostile as I felt.

"You were talking in your sleep," he said matter-of-factly like I should know already.

"What was I saying?"

"I couldn't really tell, you mumbled more than you spoke clearly, but you said a name, Gabriel, that was the clearest of all the things you said."

I didn't want to talk to him about it; I didn't ever talk in my sleep unless it was something stressful. And that dream was defiantly stressful. Strange, now that I thought about it, Gabriel looked strangely like the man I had run into just the day before. It must have just been a coincidence, it had to be. It kind of reminded me of a conversation with Papa, about past lives and Dream Remembrances.

I shook my head and continued to eat, ignoring Shane's question on purpose. I didn't want to think about the night before, or the stranger I had run into. I didn't want to think at all, to be quiet frank. I just kind of wanted to be numb and do nothing if I could, "Look," I said through a mouth full of toast, "I was only planning to stay tonight, so I'm going to be leaving."

Shane nodded his head, his mind obviously elsewhere. His was stroking my thigh, and I wanted to tell him to get his hand off me, but it seemed like it was an absentminded thing, a type of comfort in a way for him, "About last night," he said as he turned to me, "I'm sorry I didn't stop him, I know I should have. But he's my master."

I waved away his comment, "Forget about it," I said looking him in the eyes, "And I mean that literally, forget about it. It never happened, and it will never be spoken of again."

Shane looked doubtful, but he nodded, "Ok," he said in a low voice, "It never happened."

I nodded and handed my tray to him, "Good," I said and throw the comforter off me, "Now, get lost. I need to change and head out, I have work."

"Oh," Shane mumbled and stood, turning to leave, "I'll get out of your way, than."

Shane left, this time without turning back, and I stood. I was weak, as I knew I would be.

I pulled on a shirt out of my bag that was long sleeved and gray turtle neck (which was stupid given the heat of Arkansas in June, but I had to cover the bites and the scraps). I pulled on a pair of dark blue jeans and slipped on a pair dark green converse. I shoved the rest of my clothes into my bag and left the room as silently as a human could. I was out the building in record time.

I walked as fast as I dared in my state of weakness. The sun was out and, at nine thirty, it was almost unbearable, so I pulled my long, shapeless hair into a pony tail and pushed up my sleeves. I would be in an air conditioned building most of the day anyways so the sweater wasn't too bad (and I tended to get a little cold anyway so the sweater was actually a good idea). I pulled my iPod touch out of the front pocket of my backpack and stuck the ear buds in my ears, turning it on so I could listen to some Blue October, Linkin Park, Bullet for My Valentine, and more of my favorite artists. It started out on Bullet for My Valentine and I sang along as the lead singer sang about his bittersweet memories. I could relate to that, I had a few memories like that too.

With Matt Tuck as my boost, my morning was going great considering last night's events. I turned the corner and before I knew it, I was facing _Jack's Grocer_, the grocery store where I was a stock girl. I went around back, taking the employee's entrance, and stowed my back pack in the lockers in the break office. I pulled on the dark green vest that was our uniform, clocked in, and walked out, shutting the door behind me. I went into the storage room and looked at the list that had been made of all the items that needed to be restocked throughout the store. I grabbed a push rack (about 7-8 feet tall) and piled about half of the items onto three of the racks and pushed out the door. It was really boring work, but it was work and I was getting paid for it. It was about ten fifteen when my boss, Jack Thomas, came down the lane I was in.

"Ann," Jack said as he walked up and patted me on the back, "Good to see you in this morning."

Jack was about five feet eight inches tall with short cut blonde hair and dark brown eyes. He was slight, but under his plaid short sleeved shirt, Jack was built and strong. I nodded to him and went about my job piling different items onto the rack and taking them out to resupply the store. I looked down at my watch and I smiled, I only had an hour and a half till I got off work.

"Ann," Jack said as he walked up to me in the bathroom isle, "There's a man in the break room asking for you."

"Ok," I said and continued to stack the toilet paper.

"Ann," Jack said and I turned to him again, "You can go see him now, it's time for your break anyways."

"Yes, sir," I said and finished putting the last package of toilet paper on the shelf, took the moving rack back in the storage room, and went into the break room.

I froze when I saw who stood in front of me.

"Miss Reave, so good to see you," he said. Mr. Toque smiled at me and I had to remind myself how to breathe, "I was worried about you. You seemed unwell yesterday, a little uneasy. I thought I would check in on you."

I circled around the table, keeping something between him and me, and tried to smile back, "I'm doing just fine, sir," I said weakly, "Much better, actually. Thank you for considering me so."

Mr. Toque smiled an easy smile, one that would have melted a girl to a puddle of goo, "Miss Reave, please, call me Matthew," he said in a thick, warm voice, "You are my most talented and favorite student, Miss Reave, how could I not be concerned?"

He stepped closer, coming around the table. His back was to the door now and when he realized this, Matthew turned and locked the break room door. My pulse elevated as soon as I heard the click of the lock catching. Then, Matthew turned his six foot two frame to my five feet three inches and my body shook with anxiousness. I didn't like the way this was going.

"Mr. Toque," I said in a shaky voice, "I have to return to work, I get off in an hour and a half and I really don't want to have to make up time."

Matthew just grinned at me and my stomach did flips. This startled me and I didn't understand what was going on with me.

_The vampire blood_, I thought.

That made sense, though I didn't know the effects of it, I did know that it had a profound effect on the bodies _urges_.

Blush covered my cheeks, "Miss Reave," Matthew said in his deep voice, his British accent sending shivers up my spin, "Ann, may I call you Ann? Have I told you why you are so very much my favorite?"

I shook my head, not trusting my voice at this point.

He smiled, "It is because you are so confident, so talented, and so. . ." he trailed off as his eyes moved up and down my body, "Beautiful."

I felt like I couldn't breathe no matter how many deep breaths I took. This was so unreal, I had heard stories of teacher/student relationships happening, but I never imagined them happening to me. It just didn't seem likely at all. I wasn't attractive at all, and I sure didn't give that 'Come and Get Me' vibe like so many of my fellow classmates did.

"Thank you, sir," I managed to say, "Honestly, thank you, but I really do have to be going."

Matthew was now within arm's reach, closer actually, and I couldn't remember letting him get this close. He reached out and put his hand on my cheek. I felt my entire nervous system come alive at his warm touch and I knew it showed on my face due to his grin that wreaked victory, "Now, Ann," he whispered leaning closer to me, "You can't pretend you don't feel this, too. I know you want me as I want you. Your body is all but screaming it at me, and I cannot help but oblige it."

I inhaled sharply when his hot lips touched mine. They covered mine, enveloped them in heat that soon engulfed my entire body, and there was nothing I could do. Then my cell phone rang (thank you God that I had made all the ringtones Disturbed songs) and I jumped, pulled away from Matthew and dug in my back pocket for it. I flipped it open, "Hello?" I answered it shakily.

"O, did I call at a bad time, dear?" my grandmother's voice came through the phone, "I can always call back."

"No!" I said a little too suddenly, "No, it's fine. You couldn't have called at a better time."

"Good," Grandmother Reave said, I could hear the smile in her voice and I immediately felt much better, "Andrew called me and told me he would not be home for a while and that you should come stay with me until he could return."

I fingered my protection necklace through the material of the sweater and said, "That sounds like a wonderful idea, Grandma," I smiled, thinking of how much more prepared Papa was then I, "I haven't seen you in so long! I've been meaning to visit you since graduation, but I never seemed to find the time."

"That's quite all right, my little seraph," she chuckled over the line, "I know how busy you must be. I hope this will not interfere with any of your obligation."

"Don't worry, Grandma," I smiled at her thoughtfulness, "We've got a break after today at school and I've been planning on quitting my job for a while now, so it's not bothering with anything."

"Wonderful!" Grandmother Reave exclaimed, "I'll be there by tomorrow morning."

"That sounds just fine," I replied moving to the door and unlocking it, "I need to stop by the house and pack first so that works out just great."

"Angel," Grandmother Reave said her voice becoming serious, "Be extremely careful in the house. Take someone with you; it will be much safer if you do not venture alone. Keep the necklace I gave you on at all times, do not remove it under an circumstances. Do you have the other pieces I made for you?"

"Yes," I said patting my front pocket where my rings resided, "I have them with me at all times."

"That's my Angel," she smiled, "Wear them as well. I must go now, my little seraph, I love you."

"I love you, Grandmother," I said and her end went dead. I locked my phone and stuck it back into my pocket, holding my hand there as I focused on what I had to do next. I walked to the locker and pulled out my back pack, slung it over my shoulder and walked out, leaving Mr. Toque behind without a backward glance, ignoring his calls.

I pulled my iPod out of my back pocket and stuck my ear buds into my ears and played a song I loved o, so much. Bag pipes, fiddles, drums, all filled my head as Heather Alexander sang the battle song of Cambreath. I loved it so much I was humming the tune but eventually sang along.

I was so into the song I didn't sense what was coming up on me until I was pushed to the ground. My heart was pounding and I could smell the death rolling off of the creature that had pinned me to the ground. My iPod skid across the pavement and my backpack was ripped off me before I managed to turn to my attacker. Teeth snapped at my throat, just missing me, as I fought off the Hell Hound trying to kill me. I tried to focus but I was filled with fear, something Hell Hounds did very well, so I fought blindly. I was sure some passerby would see me struggling with the creature and help, or call for help, until I realized I had taken the alleyway behind the store (and the short cut where almost no one ever went) to get home faster, so there would be no one to rescue me. Not to mention, normal people couldn't see Hell Hounds, or any other worldly supernatural creatures either. I was effectively on my own with this one.

Its teeth gnashed out at me again only this time it caught my arm and I screamed as pain shot like lightning through my entire arm, the poison in the Hound's saliva contaminating my blood stream.

Now, I was pissed.

I managed to get my left arm out from under the Hound's paw that held it pinned and wrapped my hand around the upper part of its snout. I dug my nails into the sensitive flesh of its nose and pried it off my forearm. It yanked out of my grasped and jumped off of me, shaking its head. I flipped backward and into a crouch as I faced the creature. It was new, just raised. It still had clumps of dirt all over its decaying body. It had no tail, but still resembled a Rottweiler (minus the fur obviously). Pieces of its muscle hung off it and puss seeped out of different gashes along it sides and neck. Its eyes, trained on me, were hollow pits leaking blood and unidentifiable liquids with a yellow, red glow emanating out of them. Its front paws were not paws, but disfigured hands with two inch long, serrated, broken, ragged nails. I closed my eyes (bad idea when there's a Hell Hound about to kill me, I know) and laid my palms flat on the ground. I focused, reaching out with my 'gift', and looked for something nearby to rise. I felt something close enough, just barely, and prepared to call it to me. I heard a growl; knew the Hound knew what I was going to do and attack to prevent it, but, as I prepared for it, it never came. Instead, I heard a yell (more like war cry for all its worth) and the clank of steel on pavement. I looked up and saw the stranger I met the day before standing between me and the Hound with a four foot long pipe in his hand wielded like a sword.

"Get up," he called to me, not taking his eyes off the now limping Hound, "You can't lie around and let a man do all the work."

I shot up, and dove for my bag, digging inside for my weapon. I wrapped my fingers around the cool hilt of it and slid it easily out of the backpack. The silver blade gleamed in the noon sun light as I let the blade extend to its full five foot length. It was beautiful and deadly sharp and when I turned it to the Hound, directing the point to its heart, I saw it hesitate just as it charged us. I ran at it, right past the stranger, and swiped the air where the Hound was headed.

I felt the sickening _slink_ as the blade slid in to the Hound's breast, piercing the heart, and then come out the back just as I felt the weight of it hit me. I stumbled backward as the hound slumped onto me, dead (again), and I pushed it off of me, the sword going with it. I bent over, my hands on my knees and gasped for breath as I vomited, sweat almost drenching my body now. The stench was terrible, worse now as the beast caught fire and crumbled to ash and filled the air around us with it stink, my sword falling to the ground as the remains crumbled to dust. I coughed and wiped my mouth on the inside of my shirt and looked down at myself to survey the damage. The sleeve of my right arm was completely gone and I could see the black veins of poison running up my arm and it burnt like hell. Without thinking, I tore off what little was left of my shirt to get a better look at myself. The black purple veins were already up my neck and half across my chest, the wound itself was oozing puss were the teeth ripped open my flesh. I hissed as I gingerly touched around the wound and puss continued to spilled out.

"That's bad," the stranger said from my side as he took my arm, "We need to get the poison out before it gets to your heart."

"There's no point," I said and turned to face him, showing that it already had, "I'm immune to it, so I'll be fine," I hissed as I felt it begin to pulse as my body fought it off, "It'll only hurt, so I'm gonna be fine."

"Hold still," he said as he pulled a necklace out from under his shirt. It was a long syringe (actually it was about two inches long, needle included). The glass casing was etched with different symbols I didn't recognize and the holder for the glass case and needle was steel, an almost perfect protection metal. It was filled with a metallic black liquid. He popped the cap off and my heart started to pound.

"No," I said firmly and I tried to pull away from him but he held my arm firmly, "Absolutely not! Let go, the poison won't hurt me, well, at least it won't kill me, but you are NOT using that needle on me! So get it the hell away from me!"

"Don't be a child," he said and stuck the needle in the oozing wounds of my forearm without hesitating and I bit the inside of my cheeks to keep from screaming as the steel tip buried deep into my arm, "See, that wasn't so bad, now was it?"

I turned my face to him (wondering why the hell he carried around a needle in a necklace) and gave him my most menacing glare I could muster through the pain, "Yeah, sure, not so bad if you're not terrified of needles and really don't mind strange men jabbing things into you, then yeah! It was just peachy!"

The man rolled his eyes and pulled the needle from my arm, and I saw that not even a quarter of the strange liquid inside was gone, "Look," he said holding my arm out for me to look at, "It's already working."

I looked down at my chest and saw that the veins that were slowly crawling down to my stomach were now retreating back to the source of the poison. It would have done this all its own (maybe after about a week of being sick and in pain) because of my immunity to it, but I was actually relived as I felt the pulsing and pain slowly deteriorating (though I was never going to admit it to _him_), "Yeah, so?" I said as I jerked my arm away from him, "It would have been just fine without it."

"You know, it's normally polite to say thank you when someone saves your life," he smirked at me and my heart jumped at the sight of it, spreading heat through my body to my cheeks.

"I had it under control," I mumbled turning away from him to fetch my pack, iPod, and sword, not caring that I was pretty much topless in front a guy I didn't know.

"Yes," he said in a condescending voice, "Crouching with your eyes closed while facing off with a Hell Hound is totally having things 'under control'. You're right, my mistake, what could I have possibly have been thinking?"

I picked up my pack and iPod and turned to face him. His shaggy, dirty blonde hair was lit like a halo in the sunlight as he stood facing toward me with his arms crossed. He wore a black tee-shirt with a red Linkin Park band logo, a folded navy blue bandanna on his wrist, a pair of dark blue jeans, and black sneakers. I tried to stay mad at him, but it just wasn't possible when he looked that handsome, "I do believe it's also polite to tell someone your name, yet you have failed to do just that," I smirked as I dug in my pack for a shirt, "So it seems we're both impolite people."

He looked at me, like he was evaluating me (which was a little annoying), as he slipped the syringe back under his shirt. Then he smiled and it was the most beautiful smile I had ever seen, and it was the kind that could dazzle anyone, "I apologize," he said and uncrossed his arms, offering me a hand, "My name is Gabriel Riedder, your guardian angel."

I offered my hand after slipping into my v-necked tee-shirt (expecting him to shake it) and he took it, bringing it to his lips, and planting a gentle kiss upon the soft, sensitive skin, "A pleasure to meet you, Gabriel. My name is Angel Reave, and I don't need a guardian angel. I can handle things just fine on my own."

Gabriel dropped my hand and sighed, "Is it really so hard to say 'thank you'?" he asked me as I straightened my shirt around my torso.

I couldn't help but smile at him, "Fine," I sighed kneeling on one knee so I could dig out my protection jewelry, "Thank you, Gabriel Riedder, for distracting the Hound so I could kill it in a more conventional and less energy consuming manner, though your help was not nessecery."

"I can't win for losing, can I?" Gabriel asked as he put his hands on his hips (which I noticed were shaped very nicely).

"I guess not," I shrugged and slipped on my bone and turquoise choker necklace (mainly to hide the bite mark), clapped my antique silver turquoise bracelet along with my iron turquoise ring, the band was in the shape of vines or roots that came together to hold the stone, and slid my turquoise Tree of Life earrings in. I stood and looked at Gabriel. His eyes were fixed on me, concentrating hard on whatever he saw, "What?" I asked.

"You're more beautiful than I remember," he mumbled and I was worried I might have heard him wrong. I knew for a fact I'd never seen him before in my life, well aside from yesterday when he picked up my things for me.

"Excuse me?" I asked a little confused.

"Nothing," he said and shook his head, "Well, Angel, where were you headed?"

"Call me Ann," I said shaper then I meant to, "Please, it's what everyone calls me. I was heading to my house to pack."

"What are you packing for?"

I opened my mouth but closed it. How did I know I could trust this stranger? How did I know that he wasn't the one who sent the Hound after me? Was I sure I should tell him? Without a doubt in my mind, I knew all the answers; yes I could trust him; no, he wasn't the one who sent the Hound on me because he didn't smell like a Necro; and yes, I should tell him. In fact, I realized, he could actually help me, "I was headed to my house to pick some clothes up," I said as I pulled my pack onto my shoulder, slid my iPod into my pocket, and retracted the sword to its original seven inch long sheath and slid it into my back pocket, "I have to go to my grandmother's and stay until it's safe for me to be back, which as you can tell it's not."

"Yeah, about that," he asked running his hands through his hair, "How the hell did you manage to get someone pissed enough to send a Hell Hound after you, in the day light no less?"

I shrugged and winced at the pain that radiated from my right arm. I looked down at it and saw the veins of black were down to the wounds and slowly seeping out of them, "You know," I breathed through the pain, "I don't really know. All I know is that they're really pissed, but who would risk raising a Hell Hound period! It just doesn't make any sense."

Gabriel gave me a questioning look, "How do you know about all of this?" he questioned.

I bit my lip, "How did _you_ know about this?" I asked now curious why he carried antidotes around with him and how he could see the Hound.

"It doesn't matter," he said with a wave of his hand, "Let's get outta here; there's no telling what will show up next."

I cautiously pushed open my front door with the silver hidden sword, the blade extended at one and a half feet. It was getting on dark now, so I wasn't really worried about our neighbors see me creeping around with a stranger and a sword. But it also meant that I had to worry about vampires and zombies (different from dead-reanimated, but I'll explain that later).

I was shaking as I walked into the mud room, terrified. I was never scared about stuff like this before, dark creepy things never bothered me, so I couldn't understand why all of the sudden I was absolutely terrified. I knew it couldn't possible from any of the creatures that emanated fear, I was immune to that except from Hell Hounds because the fear they imitated was a different type, so there had to be a different reason for the fear. Was I actually afraid to go into my own home? That made me angry. This was _my _home, I shouldn't be afraid to go into _my _home! The anger moved over the fear and suddenly, I couldn't wait to get inside.

"Easy," Gabriel whispered and put a hand on my shoulder, "We don't know what's inside, so we have to be alert."

His warm hand on my shoulder calmed me and I took a deep breath, willing my heart to slow and my body to quit shaking. I wondered if being close to Gabriel was the reason for my reactions, but that didn't seem right, at least it couldn't be right. I shook my head and focused as I walked into my living room. The room was still and silent, the air stale. No one had been in or out all day. That was bad, Papa was always home. Where was he anyways?

"Where is your room?" Gabriel said just barely above a whisper.

"Upstairs," I said just as quietly, "Third door on the left, it has my name on it."

He nodded and took the lead before I could protest, if it was killing me people were aiming for, my room would be the first place they would set for. I raced after him, at least as fast I could, trying to quiet (which was actually pretty fast to my surprise).

"Gabriel, no, wait!" I hissed up the stairs at him as I went after him, "Gabriel, wait for me!"

I hurried up the stairs after him. I got up to the hall to see him leaned against the wall. He paused and pointed to my bedroom door and looked at me as if he were asking "This one?"

I nodded to him to confirm. He pulled a strange looking silver pocket knife with a cross on the handle out from under navy blue bandanna he wore on his wrist. He hit a button and a sharp looking curved silver blade popped up from the side. He gave me a stay put look as he slowly opened the door. He took one step into my room and was blasted back into the wall across from it.


	3. Chapter 3

**Chapter 3**

I slung my sword to extend it the rest of the way out. There was trouble in there, and I couldn't just run away and leave my so called "guardian angel" to be killed by whatever it was. Instead of running to Gabriel's side, I ran into my room, ready to fight. Except that it wasn't fighting that I would be doing.

Before I realized what had happened, I found myself in an immense amount of pain and lying on top of Gabriel in front of my room, the sting from the impact still pulsing just beneath my skin. I instantly felt pierced. I could tell by the amount of pain and blood that leaked out from my side that his knife had stuck me, and for some unknown reason it burned. It sang throughout my entire body and I couldn't move at all until I felt Gabriel pull the blade from my back. Even in the blades absence, there was still a scorching sensation left from it. I fell sideways and lay on the floor as he got up.

"Are you alright?" he asked.

"Do I freaking look alright!" I grunted through my teeth as I glared at him with my hand grasping my gushing back side.

"I'm borrowing this," he said picking up my sword and wielding it in his right hand, "I'll be better prepared this time."

He ran back into my room to fight. All I could do was lie in the floor, watch, and be useless. I couldn't see much but I could see Gabriel in there attacking a rather large creature. It looked like a giant with no skin. I could see red and white muscle tissue and that was all. It was probably about eight foot tall and four feet in width from shoulder to shoulder. Its mouth was sewn shut and its eyes were solid black; staring into its eyes was like staring into an abyss. Steam rose off of its flesh as if it were much hotter than the stuffy, cool air of my room. I recognized it right away, but I had only seen it in Papa's oldest books. We were facing an Anguish Titan. It was said that they had been extinct for thousands of years, it made no sense that one would be here now. The scary part was it was smaller than the ones described in the book. This was definitely a Resurrection, but the Resurrector was not powerful enough to raise one to full power. Now, I knew we were in some deep shit.

The Titan flung its fist at Gabriel but he tucked and did a roll to the side of my room where I couldn't see him anymore. But as soon as he was out of my view he was back, leaping through the air at the monstrosity with my sword in hand, jabbing, and I couldn't help but admire how his muscles flexed beautifully as he defended me. The Titan raised its arm to block the attack. My sword got stuck in the tissue of the Titan's arm and it slapped Gabriel away with its other. He was fast to get back to his feet and he pulled his knife back out. I winced at the sight of it.

My feeling useless began to trouble me again because I knew I had to help, there was no way he could face this creature without a Necro's assistance, he just wasn't that strong. Gabriel ran at the Titan and when the it swung at him he ducked and slid under its arms and slashed the Achilles tendon on its right leg. The titan roared (how I didn't know because it's mouth was sewn shut) and fell to the floor on its weakened side as Gabriel finished his previous slide and leapt on its back. The Titan flung itself backward before Gabriel could land a blow and threw him off. As Gabriel flew across my room, he lost grip on his knife and it fell to the floor. I sat up trying to get in there to help, but Gabriel rolled up on his impact to the ground and landed on his feet. He was unarmed now but he still relentlessly went for the attack. He took a running start and cart-wheeled over his knife, grabbing it. Regaining his footing, he leapt again at the Titan and spun in the air landing a blow at the Titan's chest leaving a long cut across it.

Why did he let him land the blow? I wondered to myself. Then I realized its eyes were now set upon me, it had found its intended target. It started walking towards me, completely ignoring Gabriel's assault.

Now things were obvious: someone wanted _me _dead.

The Titan walked though my doorway, the frame broke out from the width of its shoulders being forced through such a narrow space. I managed to break through the pain and stand up as fast I could, but I was breathless. Whatever Gabriel's knife had been made of was doing me serious damage and the pain was almost unbearable.

The titan raised its arm up, the one with my sword sticking through it, and was just about to crush me when Gabriel jumped to my aid (literally jumped) and stuck his knife into the back of the creature's neck. The Titan let out another roar of pain but this time it seemed to be magnified. I wondered if the knife burned it, like it burned me, and that made me wonder why it burned me to begin with. Gabriel reached around and grabbed my sword from the titan's arm while it was in its stunned condition. Gabriel now stood in front of me with my sword in both hands, protecting me.

My heart leapt at the thought because it seemed like it was right, like it was supposed to be this way, as if he were supposed to protect me. I shook my dead, my vision spotty, it must just be the wound affecting me, because I knew for damn sure I didn't need anyone to protect me.

It didn't take long for him to make a move though; Gabriel stuck my sword through the Titan's mouth at an upward angle where the tip came out its skull. The monster fell backwards, dead. Gabriel had won and as he stood there, panting over the corpse of the Anguish Titan, and I admired Gabriel's entire form. He stood slightly hunched, his gray eyes almost thunder cloud dark, his hair was in disarray and clumped with the blood of the Titan, sweat streaming down his neck (which highlighted his straining neck muscles and drenched his tee-shirt), and his whole body seemed to glow, just slightly, and it arched off his back and I smiled because it reminded me of wings. His hands flexed, like they were searching for something that should be there, and his head jerked up to look my straight in the eyes. He opened his mouth but a cry broke off anything he was going to say.

It was like breaking glass, a fork on a glass plate, and nails on a chalk board all at once, being magnified by a microphone. I screamed as pain shot through my skull at the sound and I clamped my bloody hands over my ears. It didn't stop. The sound pierced through my protecting hands, drilling through my ear drums like white hot needles. I knew what was next, what hideous creature we were about to face, every Necro from birth was taught about this thing. Something that no Resurrector or Necro in their right mind would ever bring forth and it was coming for me, that was I fact I knew for absolute certain. Someone was _really _pissed at me.

I heard it clawing its way up the stairs through the screaming in my brain. It was the one thing that all things good and evil on the earth were afraid of. It was the one thing that could kill a Necro, the one thing I couldn't be saved from if it got a hold of me. I looked at Gabriel, the panic clear in my eyes as I cried out to him for help. He didn't seem to notice the screaming, which was odd because he seemed to notice everything else that had come at us today. I fell to my knees on the hard wood floor of the hall, the pain far too much for me to handle. I looked to the stairs and saw its claws grasp the stair, scorching, scratching, and cracking the wood on the floor. Its claws were cracked, black obsidian, attached to burnt, mangled flesh. Its powerful arms rose above the landing, steam flowing off its patchy skinned arms as its bones creaked under the stress of its weight. Its muscles flexed as it pulled all of its weight up, I couldn't think through the pain and fear that coursed through my blood.

A full grown Innuwarek demon.

"_No_!" I screamed, "_Get away from me_!"

Its head came into view. It was shaped like a dragon's, only it had no bottom jaw. Its tongue hung down on the floor, the acid of its saliva melting away the wood, and saliva dripped from its jagged, curved black, rotted teeth. It was all muscle on its face, no skin, which stretched tautly across its menacing face. Its eyes were white, like the milky of blindness of unused eyes, filled with hate and evil. Veins curled and twitched through its muscles. The horns atop its head that were twisted and black, forming loops around themselves cutting and digging into its' own flesh.

I screamed and tried to scramble away, but a stabbing pain from my back caused me to crumple to the floor.

"_Gabriel, help me_!" I cried as I reached for him, blood dripping from my fingers

I heard the house creaked and I turned to see the creature's claws digging into the walls as it continued to pull itself up the stairs. I had to do something and do it fast, I tried to think of anything to do but use my curse, but nothing came to my panic stricken mind.

I took my bloody, shaky hand and drew a circle in the middle of my forehead, dragging a line down my nose and under my eyes. I drew two more line coming down either side of my face to connect with my lips. I placed my hand on the floor under me, leaving my hand print, and traced my Mark in the middle of my bloody palm print.

Then just as I took a breath to chant, I heard a cry. But this was no cry from the thing coming for me, it wasn't a cry of despair or pain, it was a war cry, a battle cry.

"Angel!"

It was the cry that came from Gabriel's lips as he charged the monster, my sword and his dagger in hand.

"Gabriel, no!" I screamed after him, but there was no stopping him.

The monster looked amused, just before Gabriel cut its tongue off with my silver blade and then took out its right eye with his dagger, all in one go. It let out a cry of pain that even Gabriel heard, but he didn't stop. He swept the sword and dagger back in an arch and took out its other eye and left horn. It swiped a claw out at him, but he jumped and landed on it head. With a cry, he drove the dagger into the back of its skull and drove my sword into the empty, seeping hole of an eyes socket.

The monster reared back its head, trying to throw Gabriel off, slamming its own head into the ceiling, and held to the wall to keep its balance. Gabriel shouted something in a language I didn't know, took the dagger from the back of its head, slid down its back, and pierced it in the side, right in the heart.

The beast froze and then collapsed to the floor, but only for a moment.

The monster threw him off easily with a roar, tossing him in the air. Gabriel managed to keep hold of our weapons as he sailed into the air and came to land beside me. The Innuwarek demon reared back and then disappeared in an explosion of cracking bones and black smoke, but I knew it wasn't dead. No, it took a lot more than missing eyes and a heart shot to kill that beast. It would back.

Back for me.

Gabriel reached out for me where he lay, but I cringed away from him. I couldn't touch him, not after that, not after he touched that beast, soaked in its toxic blood. He looked hurt by this but it changed. This change wasn't good; he lost all expression on his face.

He collapsed onto his chest next to me. I managed to sit myself up on my side, suddenly uncaring of the poison that covered Gabriel's hands. I crawled the two feet to him, pulling his hand to me.

"Gabriel," I whispered, "Gabriel? Wake up; you can't leave, not now. Not like this, not after I've just found you! You can't leave me!"

I was terrified he was dead or dying, and the pain that cut into my heart brought tears to my eyes. I didn't want him to die because of me. Not only that, but I couldn't handle it if he died, I knew that without a doubt, "Gabriel, look at me. Open those beautiful gray eyes and look at me. Please, look at me."

His eyes fluttered and then opened to focus on me, "Angel," he whispered and smiled at me, "My Angel." He lifted his hand to brush my cheek, tracing the lines of blood on my face, soiling them with the venomous blood of the Innuwarek demon, and, though I didn't know it at the time, erasing them off my face.

"Yes," I smiled and a tear rolled my cheek, "It's me. Now get up, we have to get out of here before more of them show up."

"No," he said and rolled to his back, closing his eyes again, "There won't be any more of them. We have stay here and wait for my friends. They'll be here soon."

My eye sight blurred and I clutched tighter to his hand, "Gabriel," I said, but my words barely got out of my mouth before he pulled me closer to him, wrapping his arms protectively around me.

"I'll save you this time," he murmured, "They can't have you now that I've found you, your mine forever."

I didn't have to process what his words meant, what they implied.

Everything after that was black.

I didn't know how long I was out, but when I came to Gabriel was beside me, crouched in a protective position over me, his mouth moving as though he was shouting at someone or something. I couldn't understand what was going on before every.

_The field was a beautiful spring green, all of it moving with the wind and the brilliant sun shown in the sky, warming my skin as I soaked up the light. I lie in the grass, taking a moment to just breathe in the peace of the moment. I knew I didn't have long, I had to get moving; they would catch up with me soon. But I didn't want to move, the moment was to wonderfully peaceful. _

"_You look so beautiful in the sun light," his voice said from my right._

_I looked over at him, slightly startled that I hadn't heard him approach me, "Will you be making a habit of sneaking up on me, Guardian?" I asked with a smile. _

_He smiled and my stomach flipped, "Only if you wish me to, Spirit Keeper," he said softly and reached over to stroke my cheek with his rough hands. His wings were gone and this time he wore a blue tunic and black breeches, but he still look beautiful, just as he had the first time I had seen him. _

"_Do you know what a Companion is?" he asked me with an intense look in his eyes._

_I was startled; Companions, I asked myself, why would he ask that? My people couldn't have companions, our creator made that so because of the evil acts our ancestors preformed. It was our punishment for their misdeeds, for their madness, not to have our _soul half_. I couldn't answer him because I didn't believe in them, how could I? To believe in something I would never be able to have was torture, it was pointless, "Yes," I said lightly and looked away from his ice blue eyes.._

"_But I have none," I whispered, "It is impossible for me, because of what I am, because of what I come from. Creator forbade it."_

"_Not true," he said and turned my head to face him, "Not for you. You are pure, Spirit Keeper, you always have been the pure one in your race, you and your line."_

"_Not possible," I whispered as I looked into his eyes, knowing that my own denial was false, I had known he was my _soul half _from the first moment I had set my eyes on his, when he saved me the villagers who were going to kill me. There was no doubt of that in my mind. _

"_Yes, it is. Your ancestor was the one who stood against all the evil of your kind, she was the only one. She saved your line," he said as he stroked down my cheek and across my chin, "And you know this to be true, you cannot deny this fact."_

_I looked him in the eyes, trying to find a way to make this not true, to undo what he had done to me, but I knew I could not. What he had done, when he first touched me, first saw me, connected us in a way that nothing could undo, not time, not space, not man or Creator, "I know," I said softly and laid my head on his chest, "I know."_

"_Would you believe I was yours?" he asked sitting up on his elbow so he could hover over me, "Would you, Spirit Keeper?"_

_I looked him in the eyes, those beautiful, ice blue eyes that held so much, "Yes," I said barely at a whisper, "I would."_

_He leaned in, I could smell the sun and grass on his skin, could almost taste honey on him as his lips came closer to mine. I ran my hand up his arm to tangle them in his hair, pulling him closer._

"Angel!"

My eyes shot open and I jerked my hand up to defend myself, still thinking I was bleeding to death in the hall of my own home. Well, at least I tried to jerk my arm up, but it was being held down by cuffs locked on the railing of the bed I lay in. I looked around, trying to get my bearings.

I was in a hospital like room: privacy curtains, hospital bed, heart monitor, I.V. in my arm, and those painfully bright lights that make your head hurt. I was in different clothes now, the classic dress gown of hospital patients, and wanted to know who had the nerve to change me (don't get me wrong, I was grateful to be out of the poison infested, blood soaked, dirty clothes, but still!). I felt around to my right side, feeling for the wound I had sustained during the 'fight'. As soon as my fingers brushed the bandage, I let out a cry out as the burning sensation shot through my body. I clutched the bed rail till my knuckles to white, trying to get through the pain that rocketed through me.

I wanted to know where the hell I was and where Gabriel was, and I wanted to know now. I was getting angrier and angrier the longer I went without this information, and I could feel the power building in the air around me. It was not safe for me to lose control of my anger, but I was upset, wounded, and scared. I closed my eyes to keep the tears away. I wanted to go back to the home a Resurrector's creature had destroyed, I wanted my Papa, I wanted to quit hurting, I wanted to quit getting hurt, I wanted answers I wasn't getting, and I wanted to all of this right then. I yanked at the cuff holding my right hand to the rail, even though I knew all I was doing was causing bruising and bleeding at the wrists that would hurt for even longer. I knew it was pointless to struggle, but I didn't like not feeling like I couldn't get out if I needed. I tried not to panic, tried to stay calm and breathe, but I couldn't.

"Whoever the hell is here," I shouted as loudly as I could, "Tell me what the hell you want with me and why I'm cuffed to this bed!"

Nothing happened. I huffed and threw my head back on the pillow, what had I expected, really? Someone to come running in and explain everything in the fine detail I wanted? As if! I looked straight up at the ceiling, counted the ticks of the clock, until someone slid open a door to my right.

I had gotten to three thousand ticks when someone slid the privacy curtain aside and cleared their throat, wanting my attention. I let my head flop to the side to look at the person.

I was faced with an extremely handsome man. He was about five foot nine with short ginger colored hair. He was clean shaven with a strong chin and almost emotionless eyes that watched me intently. He wore a blue long sleeved shirt with the cuffs rolled up to his elbows and light blue jeans. His hands were tucked into his pockets, a silver watch on his left wrist and a leather cord on his right.

"Angel, yes?" he asked in a British accent.

I didn't let any emotion slip onto my face as I said, "To you? No, my name is Ann."

"Gabriel says you're called Angel Seraph-"

"No!" I snapped cutting him off, "My name is Ann."

He put his hands up, showing he wasn't up for a fight, but I was pissed and just itching for a reason to snap at someone.

"Alright," I sneered, "Tell me why the hell I'm here."

He could tell there was no give in my voice, though I could tell he was used to giving orders not taking them, especially from some strange girl, "You were brought here to treat the wounds you sustained during combat with an extremely rare creature called Anguish Titan and a type of demon we've never seen or documented."

"It's called an Innuwarek demon," I told him calmly, "It's the worst thing you could ever come up against, and I'm surprised Gabriel took it out as easily as he did, though, it's not dead. It takes a lot more than what he did to kill one. It must have been very young because it was extremely cocky and ill prepared. I've only ever seen one once before, but it was dead. If we had been facing an adult, he and I would be dead."

"About that," He muttered.

"About what?" I jumped up but winced in pain from my previous wounds.

"Gabriel."

"What about Gabriel!" I shrieked out of anger and sorrow, "Where is he?"

"He," he broke off, "Is dead."

I trembled, began to tear up, even, and my breath caught. He had died for me. I caused his death, and for what? Everything was fuzzy and I couldn't remember exactly what had happened. At least, that was until I heard his voice.

"Don't listen to him," Gabriel said from a doorway with his arms crossed, but all I could see was his silhouette, "He's got a twisted sense of humor."

My heart stopped and I turned my glare to the man beside me. Anger filled me and I couldn't stop it, "You think you're funny?" I asked through my teeth, clenching my fists and drawing blood. I felt the energy that lived in my blood fire up, primed and ready for use, "Because I don't really appreciate people 'teasing' me like that."

The man looked at me sideways, seeming to sense something off about me. I realized that I had to keep what I was from them, though I couldn't really place why, but I'm used to my gut usually being right so I listened to it and toned down my anger, and thusly my powers.

"Can you give us a minute, Captain?" Gabriel asked as he stepped into the room, the harsh light showing just how messed up he was, and it made my heart ache to see him so hurt. I heard a cry escape my lips before I could stop it as I tried to bring my hand to my mouth, but couldn't because they were cuffed to the bed railing still, and tears stung my eyes.

His face was badly bruised with a cut across his left cheek bone, and that was just what I could see, "Gabriel," I murmured as I reached out to him but pulled my hand back and placed it on my lap. I looked down at my hand, flexing the soreness out of them, "I'm sorry."

"Don't be," he whispered back and I looked up to see him leaning over the bed, inches from my face.

I felt my face become hot, "But I got you hurt. If you hadn't brought you with me, this never would have happened," I said and looked away from him to the far bland white walls.

"I would have come even if you hadn't asked me to," he said in my ear, "It wouldn't have mattered if I would have had to face a hundred of those demons, I will not lose you again."

I turned to him; my brows draw together in confusing, "What do you mean by 'again'?" I questioned pulling back from him.

"Your minute is up," the man, Captain, said as he marched back into the room like he owned the place (by the looks of it, I wouldn't have thought it that farfetched), "You're needed in command-" he stopped mid word and corrected himself, "In the office."

"May I request that I stay to deb- I mean, explain the situation to Angel?" Gabriel requested.

"What's going on?" I asked "Why do you keep calling him Captain and changing your wording in mid-sentence?" I knew they were hiding something from me, but did I really stand in a position where I could point fingers? It's not like I exactly told them, hey I'm a Necromancer; I work for the oldest vampire lord on this hemisphere and probably the world.

"Captain is just a nick name," Captain told me, "However; you can call me Blaine if it makes you feel more comfortable."

He shot a smirk at me and Gabriel returned it with a displeased, somewhat jealous look. I couldn't help but blush. After the moment of dirty looks and awkward silence Blaine finally said, "Gabriel, you have business elsewhere at the moment, I'll tell her all she needs to know. Now, go see Ulrich as you were told to do."

"Aye, Captain," Gabriel let out as he walked back through the doorway he had come through only moments ago. On his way out he turned around and held his left fist up and hit his chest crossways with his right wrist as if he were making a cross. Blaine, or Captain (or whatever he was called), did the exact same thing back to Gabriel, and then Gabriel smiled at me softly and turned and walked out of the room.

"You're not gonna try and run if I uncuff you?" Blaine asked staring down at me suspiciously.

"No promises," I replied, "But I'd really like to know what's going on," I stared back up at him as I lay there in the very uncomfortable hospital bed, "I do believe you owe at least that much, all things considered."

"Fair enough," Blaine agreed with a slight bow of his head to me, "You see, we here are a secret organization that has a special interest in the supernatural, namely evil creatures such as those you and Gabriel came up against this evening. We dispose of any threat to human kind like the demons and titans that plague our cities.

"Sadly," he continued as he leaned on the rail, uncuffing me, "We don't have near the amount of intelligence on the subjects as is required to properly patrol and protect the innocent."

"And where do I fit into this little scheme of yours?" I questioned. I pulled my wrist to my chest, rubbing the sore spots, "I'm not exactly anything special."

"On the contrary," Blaine grinned at me, "You are exactly special in this area. You have knowledge that we do not, knowledge we could use to further our agenda; the same knowledge that could potentially save thousands of lives. We need you, Angel, to help us. What do you say? Are you with us?"

I thought about it, watching him carefully. He was hiding something; that I was certain of, though I couldn't tell what he was hiding. I agreed that the demons and titans that plagued us needed to be taken care of, but I needed to know just how they were going to be 'taken care of' before I could agree to anything. I may not like them, but cruel treatment to anything is not acceptable and I would have nothing to do with it. They couldn't help that they were born evil.

I looked down at my wrist, now bruised and a little chaffed, and then back up at Blaine. I wouldn't be able to trust him, that much was for certain, but could I just sit idly by knowing that I could save the lives of hundreds if not thousands of innocent people with the simple knowledge that I had been taught my whole life?

"Now, I'm not agreeing to anything just yet, if at all for that matter," I started, "But what would my job be exactly?"

"Simple," He said with a triumphant smile spaded across his face "Intel, whatever you know we want to know. Wherever you got your hands on this information, we want to know and we want to study it for ourselves, perhaps glean new things you might not have picked up. We have to learn more, and you're our shiny new key."

I bit my lip, a bit apprehensive, I didn't like the terms he was using. They actually worried me just a tinny tiny bit, and I didn't get a good vibe from him. But then again, Gabriel trusted him right? So, maybe I could too. I mean, there is no doubt I trusted Gabriel, after all that he did for me. But then I got to thinking, maybe I can't trust him. Was he really trying to save me, or was I just another mission? Come to think of it, I didn't know much about Gabriel at all, let alone Blaine. But maybe they could help me too.

I needed to know who wanted me dead, which was first and foremost of the things I had to do. It could've been Dragun, but now that I thought about it, I didn't think so. He had gotten what he wanted, and I'm still indebted to him. I couldn't tell Gabriel or Blaine that I was a Necromancer. Plus, I still had to finish serving what I owed Dragun. He would kill me and everyone I knew if I didn't. What to do, oh, what to do.

"Hello?" Blaine broke the silence. I had taken a lot longer than it seemed to think about it, "Are you gonna help or not?"

"I..." I stuttered and trailed off and fell silent again. This was a really difficult situation, "I needed to think about it," I said not meeting his constant gaze, "I can't just agree, I have to give this serious thought."

"Understood," Blaine reached around the privacy curtain and pulled around a thick folder, "This is all the information about our organization, the Benevolent Society as we call ourselves," he handed me the pile of papers, "Read it over, then give your answer to Gabriel, he'll make sure everything is in place for you to join us."

I held the folder gingerly and meet his judging gaze with a hard, unmoving one in return, "I don't promise anything," I informed him, "And if I make a decision to join after reading this, I'll have conditions that will need to be met."

Blaine nodded, "I'll leave you to get dressed then," he said with a tilt of his head before leaving me.

I slowly sat up, my whole body aching from the previous battle, and began to dress. Shortly after I was clothed a knock came from the doorway behind the curtain, "Come in," I called out to whoever was there.

Gabriel walked in and I caught myself smiling at him, and he smiled back, "Good to see you're doing well after yesterday's events," he said rubbed the back of his head with a hand on his hip, as if he was feeling slightly awkward.

I winced as I stood straighter, feeling the wound on my back aching, "I'm not doing too bad," I huffed breathlessly, "But I've been better. Lucky for me, I'm a fast healer."

Gabriel chuckled, "That's a good thing," and the silence stretched between us as I sat back down softly on the bed, pulling the folder up to my lap, "So, what do you think?"

"I can't trust Blaine," I said plainly looking up at him and his eyes said he wanted to argue but I put my hand up, "But I trust you. I don't know why, but I do. So," I patted the heavy folder, "I'll read up on all this. If I like what I read," I looked back up into his steely blue eyes, "I'll join. But only under certain conditions."

"Deal," Gabriel said with enthusiasm, stretching his hand to me.

I couldn't help but smile as I shook his hand in return.

"Now, Ulrich will be in a bit to take you to the Witness Housing Center," Gabriel said stepping back from me, "I'll see you out when he gets here, if that's okay with you."

"Witness Housing Center?" I questioned with a smirk, "What's that supposed to be?"

"Witness Housing is a safe house our group has set up for people who have been attacked by the evil supernatural creatures," he explained taking a seat in the chair at the end of my bed, "Often those who have witnessed such have needed a new place to live to cope with the losses they were forced to face, so the Benevolent Society created several different housing units for them, in different areas all over. It's like a support group to deal with the trauma of the attacks. They have mandatory therapy done by a therapist the Benevolent Society has in their back pockets so that people can deal with issues caused by the supernatural creatures and events properly without being thought mentally ill. It's quite ingenious I thought, I know a lot of people whose lives have been saved by setting this place up."

"Just so we're clear," I informed him, "I don't need therapy for what I saw today, I've dealt with this stuff my whole life, so it's nothing new. Don't get me wrong," I pointed to him after pulling my hair back in a bun, "I would love the added security because these things don't like large groups, they prefer their prey in twos and threes, but more than that is a deterrent to them. Not always, mind you, if their leash holder is serious enough about the target being taken out, but it is usually the case. I just want you people to be aware that I don't need to be there. I have safer-ish places to go. Ah, call it," I put my finger to my chin, "The lesser of two evils."

Gabriel looked at me with bemusement, "You are something special," he smirked, "Aren't you?"

I grinned back, "I like to think that, yes."


	4. Chapter 4

**Chapter** **4**

Ulrich Redguard was a brawny guy. His whole body was hard and muscled, which I thought contrasted starkly with his personality. He stood at least six feet and eight inches tall, if not more, and you would think there would be no kidding around with the guy, but then you'd be wrong. This salt and pepper haired, mountain of a man was the kindest, funniest, easiest going guy I had met in a long time. His voice was deep and throaty when he laughed, and held a very Scottish accent. He tended to wear blue jeans and band tees, mostly of '60's and '70's bands, and flip flop sandals. In this case, looks would be extremely deceiving.

As he drove me to the Witness Housing Center, Ulrich cracked jokes with me, making him the first person of this group to make me feel completely comfortable.

"Soooooooo . . ." I drew out as a silence gathered around us, "Am I allowed to ask questions?"

"I don't see why not," he said in a half whisper, "They can't hear us here, can they?"

I chuckled, but only half-heartedly. This was one statement I wasn't entirely sure was a joke, "How did you get in on all this?"

"Ah, the million dollar question," he laughed and scratched his beard as he thought, "Well, for my technical skills, really. As you know, unlike you 'special' ones we every day folk aren't capable of seeing certain supernatural things, so I developed a set of glasses and contacts that allow us that little, sparkly nugget of sight."

I sat back in the front seat, "Huh," I plopped my arm down on the open window seal, "Why is it certain people can see them but others can't?"

"I'm not sure, to tell you the truth," he admitted as he shifted gears, "But I have a hypothesis about it. My thinking is that some people are able to see different levels of reality, or rather all levels, like different wave lengths and the like. Whereas the rest of us are set at only being able to see the basic wave lengths that human eyes are capable of seeing."

"So, essentially, my brain perceives more of the light spectrum than any human should be able to perceive?"

Ulrich looked over at my almost dumbfounded, like no one else had been able to understand him, "Exactly," he said after a pause, an unexpected smile on his face, "The question is, what is different about your brain as opposed to ours."

"Ours?" I inquired carefully.

"The folks at the Benevolent Society," he answered, "All those lads can't see a damned thing past their own noses without my little beauties, aside from Gabriel if that tells you how rare the ability is. There's always at least one in every group that has the natural ability to see the supernatural, but they tend to be the ones that die first; it's like the creatures can sense who can see their true form and they become a target. So, what is it about your little mossy greens that lets you see more than the average – or in my case – not so average Joe?"

I looked out the wind shield, biting the inside of my lip. I liked Ulrich, he was a good guy, but he was one of _Them_ and _They_ unsettled me. That's right, capital T, shit was getting real. I didn't know if I could trust him with the truth anymore than I could trust _Them_ with it. I glanced at him out the corner of my eye, weighing the options of being up front with him or playing it safe. I choose what I thought to be a happy medium.

"You're guess could be as good as mine," I tried to joke, but his eyes told me he wasn't buying while his face told me he thought I was a riot, "But you never know, you are probably smarter than me."

The silence became heavy, dragging out longer and longer the more neither of us spoke.

"Oh!" I said suddenly, "I need to go by my house! There's things there I need if I'm going to a safe house!"

I spoke so suddenly that it must have startled Ulrich because the car jerked to the side, slamming me against the window hard, "Ow," I groaned and rubbed my skull.

"Sorry," he apologized with a slight chuckle, "You gave a right good start there. Where do you live?"

I gave him my address and soon we were headed down the highway to my home, and it was then that I noticed that where I had been taken was way out of town because I hadn't seen a car in miles and the road and forest around us seemed to stretch out forever, but about fifteen minutes into the trip we were interrupted.

"The hell is that?" Ulrich questioned as he pushed his glasses further up his nose, "I've never seen anything like that before."

My heart started hammering on the inside of my chest. I had, but only ever in my father's books and whoever had illustrated the book had done a great job, "That's something we really don't wanna mess with," I said in a hushed tone as my whole body tensed, "We need to get far from here, now."

Ulrich seemed too stunned by what he saw in front of him to find an alternate route, but we were on a long stretch of empty, tree encroached highway that went on for miles, so our options were limited as it were, "What is she?" Ulrich asked already sounding mesmerized by the 'her' yellow-honey eyes. The power of 'her' gaze made him oblivious to her whole appearance.

The thing was no 'her' or 'she' to begin with, 'she' was an it; a Hell Spawn of almost the purest evil. It appeared to be a normal young woman with honey colored eyes and flowing, wavy, dark brown hair, but It was far from anything normal, its eyes were naturally a piercing yellow color and where its mouth should have been was a gash, as if someone had taken and slit the sides of its mouth ear to ear, only to have sown it up closed, leaving the surrounded area blotchy, red, and oozing a black liquid from the wound. The power its eyes held would blind men in a sense, hypnotizing them and making them oblivious to the world around them so that its companion could come and finish the job. They were a bonded pair, born in tandem with one another, one always relying on the other to feed.

My moss colored orbs scanned for the other, the monster that the prey had to be blinded not to see, or they'd run in pure terror. Movement drew my eyes to the edge of the trees, too fast for me to perceive, but then I knew without a doubt it was out there just as surely as I knew they were sent to kill me, just like all the others old creatures. What the hell had I done to piss someone off this much?

Then I saw it, its entire body was wrapped much as a mummy would have been, aside from the legs being free to move independently of each other, but its arms were bound like it had been put in a straight jacket. I knew, however, beneath the wrappings that had grafted to its mangled flesh, its arms were attached to its upper body. Its face sent terror zipping through my whole body, freezing me in place as the adrenaline shot through and burned my veins. Where the eyes should have been now only stared back with ragged, black sockets and its mouth was frozen in an unnaturally wide smile, spread to the outer edge of the cheek bone, showing off its needle sharp, shark teeth. If it were even possible, it seemed to smile wider at me before turning to its paired mate.

When our gazes broke, I gasped for air, realizing I had held my breath. Without taking my eyes off the two who seemed to be communicating somehow, I quickly took my small pocket knife out of my cleavage, no one had thought to look there when they searched me for weapons, and used it to cut my hand. With Ulrich out for now, I didn't have to worry that he was about to witness exactly why my brain worked differently from all the others. I begrudgingly dipped my finger into the growing puddle of blood pooling in the palm of my hand and traced the pattern over my features then letting the blood coat my hand before I soundlessly place it on the dash, drawing my sign in it. Taking a deep breath, the deepest I'd taken in a long time, and I reached out with my power for any dead to flock to me. There was no way I would survive this conflict without aid, especially now that Ulrich was down. My inborn curse was all that would save me and I prayed to God that this wouldn't stain my soul like so many told me using my gift would.

A few miles off, I felt a strong pool of power. As the car came to a complete stop, I pulled the emergency break to keep Ulrich from drifting, I pulled on all the power it would take to raise the creature, a Master Hellhound. When I called out to it, commanding it to raise and come to my aid, I stepped out of the truck, taking my sword out of my bag as I grabbed hold of the door and swung it shut with a bang that echoed through the long stretch of empty highway, my boots making a hollow thump with each step from the truck I took. As I took a stand to them, I could see them looking at each, as if they were speaking to each other. My connection to the dead gave me very special skills that were extremely rare and much more valuable, such as being immune to certain creatures and what they did to their prey; they didn't expect this and it shown on their faces as best I could determine. For once those who emitted fear and consumed it, felt it and this did not sit well with them.

I let my sword hang to my side, my blood dripping between my fingers and pooling by my boots on the dried pavement, the metal of the handle cutting into my fresh wound, pressing the jewel to extend its blade to full length. They both visibly started, stepping back. The confusion was evident on their faces; they'd never come across prey that could withstand the Favored's, the female, power to enable the pairs choice meal.

"Not used to a level playing field, are we?" I smirked widening my stance, my bloody palm stinging as I griped my blade's handle and raised it to them, "Let's see how good you are when you face off with a top level Necromancer and her Master Hellhound."

At my words, a howl that sent chills down even the Demonic's spine erupted from the trees just before a hulking mass the size of a horse burst forth, running up to my side. The monster was similar to the others, though pulsed with ten times the power. The beast's pitch fur was longer, strands of it naturally looping together into the flesh that formed into tentacles that spanned the length of its body, two from under its chin that hung to its chest, four attached to the head, replacing its eyes, several more protruding forth from all over its body, and lastly one that grew to replace the tail it had long since lost. Embers glowed throughout its entire body and a large gap in the fur of its chest shone bright as the Hell Fire burnt hot, ebbing and brightening as if it had a heartbeat. The air rippled around the demon, the natural heat that it produced radiating off of it in waves.

I reached out my hand in offering to the beast, allowing it to lick the wound, sealing the bond I struck in calling it. It's poisonous saliva shot up my arm like white hot flames searing me inside and out and I bit back a curse in response to the agony. It's whole form shook, feeling the power of my blood strengthen it. I turned my gaze back to the Hell Spawns, slipping my long fingers into the hounds soot caked fur, taking in the heat that flowed off the beast, "Release him," I commanded with a hard expression, "And maybe, I'll allow you to leave with your lives. If you don't, you'll face me and my Master Hellhound. What do you choose?"

They turned to each other, communicating in whatever way they did, then turned back to me and I could see that they had chosen the latter, "Bad choice," I sighed and shook my head.

The Demonic charged at me, but never got within arm's reach because the Master Hellhound belted a stream of flame, making the monster release a scream that nearly knocked me to my feet, surely causing my ears to bleed. The Favored rushed over to its side, helping it stand again, and then I noticed it began to heal, slowly, but heal nonetheless, but then I saw the Favored begin to show signs of weakening, scorch marks slowly over taking what of her skin I could see before healing. Only then did I remember their one weakness.

"Like I said," I shouted over the screeching of the Demonic, rolling my shoulders, and the Favored turned a burning gaze on me, "Get lost and live to be one of the few who live to adulthood. Or attack again and die."

Her eyes bored into me and I felt my heart try to freeze with fear but the Hellhounds growl beside me cleared my head just as she spoke, "_No mortal, human or Necromancer, has ever attacked us and survived_," her voce rang through my head, a sensation not unlike the hum of being too close to a live wire, "_What makes you think you are any different_?"

"Because I'm not just any mortal," I answered my expression hard once more, my hair whipped around me as the breeze picked up, "Now, choose, or I choose for you."

With a scream that made my head buzz and cause me to lose focus for a split second, the Favored charged me, her eyes glowed bright, pussy yellow and her hair bellowed out around her. I recovered quickly, but not quickly enough and she tackled me to the ground, her razor sharp claws extending and cutting at my arms. With a cry of my own, I pushed her off me just enough to get my feet under her and then kicked her away from me, sending her flailing backward and then landing on her ass. I looked to see why the Hound hadn't stopped her, but he was busy with the Demonic, keeping it away from me as I dealt with its sister. Good, I smirked as I jumped to my feet, the more damage done to it, the more was done to her. The rage in Favored's eyes scorched my skin and I charged her, raising my sword. She dodged the first swing, ducking then grappling my waist and slamming me to the ground, but the force was less than she could have done, the plan was working. All the same, my breath was knocked out of me for a split second and my lungs burned as she sat on my chest. She pinned my now empty hands, the impact to the ground knocked the sword from my grasp, her knees nearly dislocating my wrists where she pinned them.

"_Silly little Necromancer_," her laughter inside my head made my vision dance, "_You really thought you, with all your inexperience, that you could kill Hell Twins_? _I think my master was wrong about you, you are no threat. You're just a harmless little Necro who doesn't even know her own power yet_."

The Favored lengthened her nails and laid them against the artery in my neck, the pulse that was pounding out of control now, "_You will be a meal that feed my brother and I for a long time_," she caressed my cheek with her other hand, as if savoring the feast to come, that was when I noticed the shaking of her hands, she sweat that slowly rolled over her blanched skin, "_You may even keep us fed for a year, if we're careful and Joffery doesn't get us into too much trouble. Oh, but Master will be most pleased_," she drug a nail across my cheek, cutting it, and I hissed as cold spread from the wound, jerking my head away from her touch, "_So pleased, in fact, he'll keep us fed for a long time_."

"Like hell," I snapped through my teeth and tried to throw her off, but she was stronger than she looked, even when she was weak.

I heard the soul numbing howl of the Hellhound just before the screeching cry of the Demonic and the Favored, She threw her hands up and grabbed her throat, blood pouring from the wound that opened as her brother fed off her life force to heal himself. I took the opening and threw my legs up over her shoulders, locked my ankles, and shoved her off my, slamming her head on the hard pavement. I hissed as I gathered myself up using my tender wrists and slowly walked to my sword which I gripped tightly before walking back over to the Favored's prone body on the ground. I grabbed her by her hair, jerked her head up, and swung my blade hard, severing her head in one swing. The scream that came next was so intense that my ears bled as I lay on the ground cradling my head in the fetal position. From where I lay on the ground, I watched the Demonic stumble to reach his sister, falling to the ground just in front of her before following her in death.

My ears rang for what felt like ages as I lay there on the ground in agony, holding my bloody ears and trying to make the buzzing in my brain dissipate. I released the Master Hellhound and watched as it lay beside me and collapsed to ash and the breeze carried it away, and I shut my eyes as the ash blew by and I didn't remember opening for a long time after.

_I walked out onto a desolate field, everything was scorched to nothing. All the trees were husks, and the ground beneath my feet was hot, still smoldering from the left behind fire of whatever battle had transpired before I came. The sky was blackened from the ash and smoke that filled the air, choking out any light that might try to break through._

_ As I walked, I saw the dead all around me; stuck with different objects they had been slaughtered with and left to die upon. I held my tunic over my nose and mouth, trying to block out the stench of the burning flesh. I couldn't stand to see such carnage, so many lives wasted, for whatever endeavor their leaders had deemed fit as such for them to be sacrificed. Tears stung my eyes, not only from the smoke, but from all the pain and death I sensed in the wasteland. I tried to find a way around it, but there was none to be had. For miles, all I could see were dead bodies soaked in their own blood and the blood of their combatants. I couldn't believe what I saw; it made me sick to see such wasted life. The urge to raise them all was overwhelming, but I knew they would not be truly alive if I did, merely shadows of their former selves, slaves to whatever I bid them do; I would be no different than the master that had led them to their death like pigs to the slaughter. I had no right to do such things, no matter what my desires. _

_ "Help me," I heard a hoarse cry come out from the battle field. Then more, more voices begging me to save them, but what these voices were asking was impossible; they would hate me for my misdeeds. Yet, I could not find it in myself to go through and kill them all, finish them off. It was murder and I could not find in myself to do such acts, even if these acts would relieve the suffering of many men left to rot. _

_ "_Spirit Keeper,_" I heard a whisper from the distance. Someone was calling to me, calling me by name. _

_ "Hello?" I called back, "Who's there?"_

_ I trekked carefully, mindful of the dead beneath my feet, until I came upon a sword jutting out of the sodden soil. It was silver; I realized right away, and about five feet in length. I reached out to it and felt the air around it vibrating, pulsing with energy and calling for me. I touched the grip and it warmed to my flesh. I pulled it from the earth and on the blade itself, under all the blood and mud, where words, but not in a language I understood. On the guard was a gem, a garnet, gleaming in the fire light that burnt all around me. I ran my finger across it, pressing down ever so gently, and the blade retracted. It straddled me and fell from my hands. It made a ringing sound as it impacted with the ground, something like a bell and chimes, hitting the rocks and other weapons that were strewn among the corpses on the abandoned battle field._

_ I leaned over and picked up the sword and it felt extremely light for being completely silver. It felt good in my hand, like it belonged in these hands, as I gave it a few practice swings. It felt right in my hands, like it was made for me._

_ "_Spirit Keeper_," I heard the same whisper again. It was faint, and raspy, but I could tell it was evil. I had to get out of this place, there was another necromancer here on this desolate place and they wanted me dead. The one that had followed me all this way. They had finally caught up with me. But I wouldn't let them catch me. I would not do what they bayed me do with them, such a vile, sinful act._

_ I felt eyes on me, and then saw the dead bodies around begin to rouse. This was bad, I was in deep trouble._

_ I pressed the garnet jewel and let the blade extend to its full length and I began to run. The bodies all around me began to rise, pulling against each other, fighting to get to me first. I could hear their cries of agony as they rose; all tortured souls made to come back to the pained existence they had been lifted from. They began surrounding me, and chanting my name. One grabbed my wrist and started dragging me away, and soon grabbed me as well and I could no longer move. At this point everything began getting blurry. I could only hear the chanting of my name._

_ "Spirit Keeper!" they cried, "Spirit Keeper!"_

_And then everything was black, but I refused to not see what was going on around me. _

"Angel," I heard repeatedly in my head, "Angel," I jerked my eyes open and flung myself into a sitting position.

"Oh, you finally decided to wake up?" a familiar voice asked me.

"Papa?"

"Angel, we need to talk," he said sternly.

Still drowsy and confused I asked, "What happened?"

"Don't pretend like you don't know, Angel!" He snapped, "I've caught you red handed! And if you ever throw a party again, you get to find somewhere else to live!"

Party? What the heck was he talking about? I hadn't been to a party since I was like, eleven years old. What party was he talking about?

"So you have nothing to say about it?" he questioned me rather loudly.

I waved my hand at him, holding my head (which was pounding uncontrollably) with my other, "Shh," I said in a hiss like whisper, "Don't talk so loudly, my head is killing me."

"Oh!" Papa said louder (and, if I were a betting girl, I bet it was on purpose), "So, you were drinking, too?"

"What the hell!" I shouted back at him, my temper reaching its peak, "I haven't been drinking! I hate drinking, and you know that because of what happen last year! Now, calm the fuck down and explain what you're talking about! But please, do it quietly, my whole body is killing me and your incessant shouting isn't helping."

I said the last bit more calmly in the beginning and held my head in my hands, trying to remember what had happened. I managed to remember a fight, a huge fight, here in the house, and anger, and fear, and then nothing. Everything was really fuzzy still. I couldn't remember any details.

"Don't take that tone with me, Angel Seraph Noelle Reave," Papa snapped, "You know damn well what I'm talking about! Now, just tell me the truth."

I gasped, then reached up and grabbed him by his bone and turquoise choker, and pulled him closer, "Listen very carefully, Papa, we're in danger!" I said trying to keep the fear from my voice and failed as I looked him dead in the eyes, "We have to get out of here, there's a Necro after me, after us. We have to leave. That's what happened today! I was attacked by a Hell Hound on my way home from work, then again here at the house when Gabriel and I came to get my things to go to Grandmother's. It was an Anguish Titian and Innuwarek Demon, Papa, an honest to the God of all things Innuwarek Demon! What the hell is going on! Who is after me?"

Tears were running down my face, fear gripping my heart. I had to get through to him, but I could tell by the look in his eyes he didn't believe a word of it.

"Stop lying to me, Angel!" he shouted at me as he took me by the shoulders and shock me, "Just tell me the truth!"

"How can I tell you the truth when you don't believe it?" I shouted at him and stared him down, "I'm telling the truth! A fucking Innuwarek Demon and Anguish Titian, Papa! Why would I lie about something so unbelievable?"

"Angel Reave!" Papa shouted and pulled me into his face, "Tell me that you threw a party while I was away, I'll lecture you, punish you accordingly, and then we can move on. There's no point lying to me about it when I already know the truth."

My heart dropped and I was filled with absolute despair. He didn't believe anything I said, he was completely convinced that I was lying to his face after betraying his trust. He knew I would never do that, he knew I wasn't like that. Why would he think I was lying? I gave up trying to convince him, there was no point when he was never going to believe me, "I can't tell you that, Papa, because that is a lie and I will not lie to your face," I said looking to the floor with despair clear in my voice.

"Then you're going to leave this house and never come back," Papa said his voice full of disappointment, "I can no longer trust you. Leave and never come back unless you feel you can tell me the truth."

He let go of my arms and I dropped to the floor that was litter with plates and empty cups. Now that I was more aware of myself, I looked around and saw that it did indeed look as though there had been a party. There was no sign at all of the attack, no trace of anything but trash that was scattered around carelessly. How would he ever believe me with all this evidence to prove otherwise?

"If that's how you truly feel," I said my voice barely above a whisper, "Then I have no choice but to leave and never return."

I stood and walked to my room in an almost robotic manner, stepping on garbage as I went. I pushed open my bedroom door and my room was completely ransacked. I was suddenly filled with rage at the thought of someone going through my private belongings. I knew exactly what they had been searching for, but they had no chance of finding it. I went to my hidden panel, looked for my hidden needle, pricked my finger, ran the blood over it, and removed the books Papa had given me to study; he didn't know I had kept them hidden so I would take them with me, study and maybe glean more knowledge on who was after me. I grabbed my large duffel bag and trudged through my room gathering up as many clothes and objects, placing my books carefully inside, I needed when I went Dragun's. It was the only place I had left to hide. A nest full of vampires controlled by the oldest, most powerful Master vampire in the world was surely enough to ward off any attacks; no Necro or resurrector in their right mind would be that stupid. But then, I thought, no Necro or resurrector in their right mind would have been stupid enough to raise an Innuwarek Demon or Anguish Titian. The sacrifice for something like that would be insane! Then I got to thinking, what would those creatures demand for sacrifice? I needed to go somewhere safe to look over my tomes and try to glean more knowledge.

"I'm going to need your key," I heard Papa say from behind me. There was no emotion in his voice and I knew I would not get through to him.

"I lost it," I said plainly, trying to sound equally emotionless but I could hear the pain in my voice.

"I guess it's just as well," he murmured and then my room was silent again.

Without realizing it, I let out a stuttered sigh and began to cry. I couldn't believe that my Papa wouldn't believe me, it was so unlike him, and that truth hurt more than I thought it ever would.

"Come now, Ann," I heard someone say from my left, "It can't be all that bad."

I looked up to see Kaleb sitting on my bed, reclined back and propped up on his elbow. I wiped away the tears that continues to stream from my eyes to give him my most mincing glare, but I couldn't manage as I began to sob and buried my head in my hands, "What do you want, Kaleb?" I asked through my sobs, "I don't have time for your games."

I heard him sit up in bed and then get up and walk to me, "But you've always had time for my games before, little Necromancer," Kaleb whispered in my ear, softly caressing my cheek, "You never seemed to mind them then."

I slapped his hand away from my face and turned away, "You're only fooling yourself that I enjoyed it, Kaleb," I said as I wiped my nose on my shirt, "I hate your 'games', they annoy me."

"Come now, little Angel," Kaleb said in a soft voice as he braced her under her arms and lifted her up, "No need to be dramatic, Master Dragun is waiting for us."

"How did he know?" I asked, but I already knew the answer. Dragun would have been able to sense my distress, would have known what was happening.

Kaleb did not answer but simply began to stuff clothes into my bag. I went out and across the hall to the bathroom to gather my things. With Kaleb's help, we managed to gather everything I needed in less than an hour. As we descended the stairs, I had hoped that we would not see Papa and much to my disappointment we did not see him. I opened the passenger side door and sat in the seat of Kaleb's truck. I watched via mirrors as Kaleb tossed my bags into the bed and climbed into the driver side, and I gripped tighter to the bag that held my hidden tomes.

As we pulled away, I watched as Papa stepped out on the porch and sat on the top steps, dropping his head into his hands. My heart ached for him in a way that made fresh tears brim my eyes, so I turned away and focused on the road as we drove to Dragun's. As we drove, Gabriel was on my mind. I wanted to see him in such a way it worried me. Someone like me couldn't afford to have attachments like Gabriel; it was just too damn risky. I wanted him nonetheless, and I craved to bury myself into his embrace and have him erase all my pain. This was a new feeling for me and I was startled by it, I didn't feel this way about anyone but Papa, and even then it wasn't this intense. I knew of only one person who could explain all this to me: Grandmother Reave.

But I couldn't drag her into this hellish mess I had created; I had to protect them, her and Papa. I sat straighter and let out a long breath, wiping away all the tears that had covered my cheeks. I was going to be strong for them, them and my friends and every other innocent in the city.


	5. Chapter 5

**Chapter 5**

I pulled out my ear buds when we reached the building where I was going to spend the next unknown amount of my life. A tall, old, almost-run-down looking warehouse surrounded by more empty warehouses, all owned by this same master vampire, and open fields; by the outer look you would never know that inside resided the oldest, most powerful vampire master in the world. And what did this master get out of being here? I had no clue, but as I got out of the truck and looked up at the impressiveness of the warehouse, clutching my precious tomes to my chest, I began to wonder why he had saved me that night. He couldn't have known what I was then, right? So what benefit did he have to saving me?

_ "Are you sure this is gonna work?" he asked me as I sat out all the things I would need._

_ "Yes," I said for the third time, "It's gonna work. Don't you believe me?"_

_ James smiled and held my cheek, leaned in and kissed me roughly, pushing me against a tombstone to press against me and when he finally pulled away from me he said, "Why else would I be here?"_

_ "Are you sure it's not just so you can get laid?" I questioned when I rubbed against his growing erection then walked away just as he leaned in for another kiss. _

"_Are you sure it's a good idea to do this?"James asked the closer we got to my intended target._

_ "Ha!" I said looking over my shoulder at him, feeling my pride swell, "You didn't believe me before but now suddenly you do?"_

_ "Well, no I don't believe you can really raise the dead," James scoffed, "It's impossible."_

_I snorted a laugh and took hold of the bag I had asked him to hold. I was gonna prove just how "impossible" this really was and it was gonna rock the very roots of his world. I loved being right. No one called me a liar and got away with it. I pulled the silver knife out of the bag along with a bowl and set it all down next to the tombstone. I pulled off my gray half-shouldered sweater and sat back on my knees, closing my eyes and focused on nothing but what I had to do. I pulled the knife up and made a small cut on my chest, grunting against the pain as the blood began to flow out of the wound, rubbing my hand in the blood. __I then took my bloody, shaky hand and drew a circle in the middle of my forehead, dragging a line down my nose and under my eyes. I drew two more lines coming down either side of my face to connect with my lips. I placed my hand on the cement under me, leaving my hand print, and traced my Mark in the middle of the palm of my print. _

"_Bring me that," I said pointing to the knife that sat near the car we had brought with us._

_James did as I asked with a worried look, "What do you need this for?" he questioned as I pressed the jewel on the hilt to extend the blade._

_He jumped when I stuck it into the grave beneath me with a grunt, "It calls out to them," I explained, "And it protects me."_

"_What about me?" James question worriedly, "Don't I need protection?"_

"_You're not a Necromancer," I replied with a scoff as closed my eyes and pulled at the power in my blood, "There is no danger for you, there's no power in you that calls to them. Now, shut it," in my mind, I chanted, calling out to the soul that I was to summon, 'Come to me, Thomas Kern, by the power of blood, I call you. By the power of blood, I bind you. By power of blood, I summon you!'_

_The earth beneath me shuddered, but I couldn't afford to lose concentration. This felt different than what I had read, something was wrong. The books said nothing about this drawing feeling, like raising this body was draining me._

"_Holy shit!" I heard James yell, "Ann, you have to stop! I believe you! Stop!"_

_But I couldn't, I had to see it through or something bad would happen, I could feel it in my bones. When James screamed, however, my concentration was broken completely. The creature I had summoned burst out of the grave, throwing me back onto the ground, I saw James running for his life. Whatever had come out of the grave landed in front of me, crouched. I shot up as fast as I could, reaching for my sword still stuck in the grave. When I managed to get up and face the thing my heart stopped. _

_Whatever I had raised wasn't human._

_What I faced was horrifying, it's skin was a dead gray, almost translucent. I met its eyes, its deep blood red eyes, as it looked at me hungrily. That was when I realized I had made a huge mistake in letting my pride get the better of me._

_Whatever it was began to circle me, like a predator, judging me, trying to find a weak spot. I didn't let it get behind me, didn't show any weakness. I held up my sword, extended at full length, and pointed it in defense. One look at the sword and the creature shrieked, hurtling backwards away from it like it was terrified of it, but not for long. It must have been starving, judging by the amount of bone showing on its emaciated form, it looked almost like a mummy; no hair to speak of, skin drawn tight over its frame, barely any muscle. Then it charged forward at me. I didn't have time to react, didn't have time to even move the sword as it came at me and tackled me to the ground, snapping at my neck._

_I couldn't move my arms more than to just keep it at bay from my exposed flesh, barely. I was panicking, and I knew panicking was not a good thing for a Necro to do. I tried to stay calm, tried to rein in my fear, my terror, but nothing did any good, especially when it craned its neck, trying to lick the blood off the wound on my chest. The fear gripped at my throat, the terror tightening its fist around my lungs, not letting them expand. _

_On instinct I reacted, I called on all my strength and called out for help, for something strong enough to save me. I knew what it was I had to call, a vampire, like the one that was on me, thirsting for my life's blood._

"_I SUMMON YOU!" I screamed as loudly as I could, the power of my shout reverberating off any surface, every object, "I COMMAND YOU! SAVE ME!"_

_The next thing I knew, the creature was thrown off me, hurtled onto a crypt a few yards away from me. Whatever had come to my summon was a blur as it attacked, charging the creature as it struggled to its feet, its broken bones protruding from it paper thin flesh. The creature showed fear for the first time as my Summoned picked it up by the throat, and begged in a language I didn't recognize. My Summoned reply, snapped a response in the same cruel sounding language, and ripped its head clean off its shoulders, turning it to ash in the process. _

_The thing I summoned turned to me and I noticed, for the first time, how modern it looked, or rather he. His hair was close cut, dark, almost black, brown, slightly spiked in the front. He wore all black, a black button down dress shirt, black tie, black slacks, and black dress shoes. He looked very much like a business man, or would if it weren't for the red eyes. But as he came closer to my prone form on the ground, I noticed is eyes slowly turned to an almost black brown, the red receding to the edges of his lids till it disappeared._

"_You summoned me, Master," he said in a deep, musical voice that sent shivers down my spine, "I am yours to command."_

_He said it almost begrudgingly as he bowed in front of me. I was speechless, completely confused at how I could have summoned him. I knew, somehow he was a very powerful vampire, it's like the power that radiated off of him was tangible, he was so old._

_He looked at me, as if he were evaluating me, and smirked, "I see," he said and straightened, extending a hand to help me. _

_I was hesitant to reach for it, knowing something was horribly wrong. He saw that I knew it, and he smirk lengthened, "You are my master," he said in his beautiful voice, "I cannot harm you while you are in command of my life."_

_I knew his words were right, but I was still afraid as I reached out to take his offered hand._

I took my bag that Kaleb offered to me, lifting it onto my shoulder, looking up into the "vacant" windows that stared back the two of us.

"Are you ready for your new life, Ann?" Kaleb asked as he brushed past me to open the main door, pressing his thumb against the scanner.

"Do I have a choice?" I questioned back.

Kaleb smirked, pulling the door open to let me in, "Welcome home, little angel," he whispered against my skin and disappeared.

I was left to find my way to my room. I pushed the door open, closed it with my foot, sat my bags down, walked to lock the door, and stripped completely, crawling under the warmth of the covers to get away from the cold of the room.

I couldn't sleep though, the blank places in my memory from the day before drove me crazy. Why couldn't I remember?

"I could help you," a familiar voice out of the darkness of a corner in my room offered.

"Haven't you helped me enough, Dragun?" I asked as I sat up and looked into the too dark shadows in the corner of my room.

I heard him chuckle, he actually laughed at me. The nerve!

"I am hundreds of thousands of years old, Ann," his tone remained calm, as if he were talking to a child, "I have plenty of nerve, and plenty reason to have it."

Crap. I forgot he could sense my mind now that he had tasted my blood. I rolled my eyes, just another plot for him to control me, wonderful, "And as I said, haven't you helped me enough?" I repeated.

"I do not like that you cannot remember things, Angel," Dragun said simply stroking the wooden bed frame, "You are under my care and when someone removes the memories of those I control, especially powerful ones, it unsettles me," his sharp eyes turned to me, "I do not like being unsettled, Angel. I do not like things being kept from me."

I felt myself smirk at him, "Then you're just gonna have to remain unsettled then," I told him lying back on my bed. It might be petty, but if felt like one tiny victory to deny him something.

Dragun's eyes darkened dangerously as he stepped towards me, but I was unafraid. I was a valuable asset to him, he wouldn't do anything to harm me; he needed me too much.

Dragun's eyes lit and he chuckled darkly, "Oh, Angel Reave," he shock his finger at me, "You are overvaluing yourself."

"Not likely," I said plainly tired of his games, "You know there's not one signal Necromancer in the entire world more powerful than me, not even by a long shot. So, no, I'm not overvaluing myself. You need me."

Dragun's eyes went flat and annoyed, but I was so indifferent, so numbed by the pasted few happenings that at that point I didn't exactly care. And I didn't care if I broad cast that like an emergency beacon of a sinking ship.

"If you don't wish for my help you simply -"

"I don't want your help, Dragun," I cut him off laying back and covering myself up with the thick comforter, "Go away and let me sleep in peace."

He didn't say anything and I was thankful for that, and the absence in the room where his power should be eased me, too. I relaxed the muscles I didn't realize were tensed and closed my heavy eyes. Why was I so tired? I had been sleeping quite a lot lately. I felt a twinge in my neck and touched the rip in my tender flesh that was now just a thin scab. I sighed, blood lose would do that to a person. I closed my eyes and relaxed, knowing no one in the building would dare bother me. Aside from Kaleb and Shane, Dragun kept all the other Charges in his care away from me, probably because they were vampires. I knew at least Shane and Kaleb were human, though had some kind of ability, I was certain of it, but I didn't know what Dragun had them under his control. I shook my head; it was of no consequence to me. I closed my eyes and slowly drifted to sleep, but it was in no way restful.

_The Favored lengthened her nails and laid them against the artery in my neck, the pulse that was pounding out of control now, "You will be a meal that feed my brother and I for a long time," she caressed my cheek with her other hand, as if savoring the feast to come, that was when I noticed the shaking of her hands, she sweat that slowly rolled over her blanched skin, "You may even keep us fed for a year, if we're careful and Joffery doesn't get us into too much trouble. Oh, but Master will be most pleased," she drug a nail across my cheek, cutting it, and I hissed as cold spread from the wound, jerking my head away from her touch, "So pleased, in fact, he'll keep us fed for a long time."_

"_Like hell," I snapped through my teeth and tried to throw her off, but she was stronger than she looked, even when she was weak. _

_I heard the soul numbing howl of the Hellhound just before the screeching cry of the Demonic and the Favored, She threw her hands up and grabbed her throat, blood pouring from the wound that opened as her brother fed off her life force to heal himself. I took the opening and threw my legs up over her shoulders, locked my ankles, and shoved her off my, slamming her head on the hard pavement. I hissed as I gathered myself up using my tender wrists and slowly walked to my sword which I gripped tightly before walking back over to the Favored's prone body on the ground. I grabbed her by her hair, jerked her head up, and swung my blade hard, severing her head in one swing. The scream that came next was so intense that my ears bled as I fell on the ground cradling my head in the fetal position. From where I lay on the ground, I watched the Demonic stumble to reach his sister, falling to the ground just in front of her before following her in death._

For the first time in months, I woke slowly, gradually becoming aware of myself and my surroundings. Not waking with a start, jerking up and in a panic, was nice, but in the line of business I had found myself in these moments were rare, but I knew the dream I'd had was a glimpse of the memories I'd lost. I slowly sat up, allowing the blanket to fall as I stretched my tight muscles, feeling as if I'd gone through a wash cycle and tossed around in the drier a couple times, all of which made me certain that I had been in a fight and, for some reason, my memories had been taken from me. I brought my hand to touch the cheek I remembered the Favored had cut with talons. I felt nothing under my finger tips; not a scab, scar, or any malformation that would indicate I had been harmed. Maybe the same ones who had taken my memories had somehow healed me, ensuring I wouldn't question how I came by it and thus question why I had blank places in my memory.

I threw the blankets off me, and lazily shuffled to my bags which I dug through to gather clean clothes. I dressed, a pair of white cargo, hip-hugger pants and a thin strapped gold tank top, before I gathered the bag of books I'd hidden and headed out. It was daylight, which meant all the vampires were bedded down, waiting for the dangerous radiation of the sun to pass, so it was clear aside from Kaleb and Shane, but they would be out, I looked at my phone, showing nine in the morning. They wouldn't be back for a few more hours, so I would be able to discreetly leave the compound without a soul knowing.

As I slipped out, quiet as a mouse, I tried to think of the safest place to read the old tomes held protectively in my arms so that no one would find them or me; only one place came to mind, but I was going to need a car.

When the cabby pulled to a stop and I paid him, I stepped out onto the old, worn pavement that hadn't been repaved since the cemetery had been abandoned since the late 1800s. I chuckled when people started whispering it was haunted, it's a cemetery not a hospital, and the dead want nothing to do with an empty, abandoned scrap of land. However, when I stepped onto the hallowed grounds, a shiver went up my spine; for whatever reason no one wanted to be here I had to give it credit, this place creped the bijous out of me and that was hard to do given what I was exposed to on a daily basis.

The rusted, ornate, wrought iron gate squealed behind me as I let it swing closed, making my whole body shiver this time. I closed my eyes and reached out, feeling for the strongest point of energy. It was like white, hot light when the power touched me and it was the center of the entire graveyard, exactly where I was heading. I looked at the tombstone, the first body to be put in this earth. The elements had worn away everything but the name, which stood out bold as if it had just been engraved: Alister Creek.

"Hey there, Alister," I said gentle as I lovingly laid a hand on his headstone, "I'm just going to sit and do some reading here, I hope you don't mind."

The sound of insects was the only thing that rang through the sweet silence of the graveyard and I smiled, knowing that this Alister and the other would enjoy the company. Lord knows how long it's been since someone had come to visit them; I made a mental note to stop by each headstone and pay my respects to them.

I sat gently and pulled out the books, laying them on top of one another, and began to immerse myself in their contents, learning as much as I could.

Hours had passed before I heard a car pull up to the front gate a few hundred feet from where I sat and I looked up, prying my eyes from the yellowed, aged pages of the precious tomes in my arms and spread around me, just as the yellow of the cab drove off. My eyebrow quirked up, people coming here was rare unless it was a group of teens coming to dare each other. I heard the gate give its similar cry of protest as someone came in.

"You are a hard one to find, you know that?"

That rich voice that reverberated around the cemetery made my heart skip a beat.

"Some would give up when they couldn't find me," I called back as he came into view, stepping passed trees and continuing towards me, "But you aren't most people, are you, Gabriel?"

His throaty laugh chased a small smile out of me, "No," he smiled back at me as he trekked closer, "I am not most people, Angel."

I wanted to reprimand him for not using Ann, but I liked the way my name sounded when he spoke it, the way the words formed on his lips, "What brings you to the least likely of all places for someone in your line of work to be? Stoking me?"

Gabriel looked at his feet as he shook his head then turned his glacier blue gaze on me, "I wouldn't stoke you, Angel," Gabriel looked around before pointing to his left, "I have family buried here. Why are you here?"

I closed the ancient text in my hands and started to place them back in the bag I brought with me, "That must be old family. They closed this graveyard at the end of the eighteen hundreds."

"I never said officially, though, did I?"

I stood and slung the bag over my shoulder, "No, that you didn't," I pointed out.

"The Benevolent Society has been burying their dead here since it closed," he continued as he walked, and I followed him, towards the back end of the cemetery, "Who do you think got the city to close it? We needed a private, quiet place to put out people to rest. Fighting the bad guys is fatal, as you well know."

I nodded as he stopped at rough looking stone, "This is were we laid my sister," he said softly and squatted down, laying a hand on the stone, "We can't mark their names on the stone, so the Keepers of The Dead hold detailed records for us, so that no one is forgotten. I come out here a couple times a week to visit them."

"Everyone needs company," I spoke softly looking at the unmarked headstones that lined almost the whole back half of the graveyard, "Even the dead."

Gabriel turned and looked at me with an expression I'd never really seen before and I only just caught it out the corner of my eye before it disappeared when I met his piercing eyes, "I like that," he said then turned back to his sister's headstone, "Captain thinks this a pointless endeavor, but I miss them. I trained them all, you know?"

A snarky comment came to mind, but the look of lose weighed heavily on his brow and I bit my tongue to hold it at bay.

"But we came against something we'd never seen before," he turned his gaze back to me and then looked at the tome in my hand and the stakes that laid behind me around Alister's resting place, "Would you have any record of it? In all your books, you'd have to, right?"

I opened my mouth then shut it, thinking before I said anything rude in this place of peace, "I could look," I started but then held up a finger, "But you can't say anything to Blaine about these. They're old and family heirlooms, but above all, they are dangerous in the wrong hands."

"And Blaine's hands are the wrong hands?"

"Any hands that aren't Reave hands are the wrong hands, Gabriel. They were made by my family centuries ago and have been protected by my family for just as long. No one but my blood kin knows of their existence, so," I took a deep breath and met his eyes, "Even letting you see these is . . ."

"I understand," he nodded, "It's a big deal. Nothing you show me will leave us."

I held his gaze longer than I ever thought I could, "For some reason I find myself trusting you, Gabriel," I breathed and my shoulders relaxed, "Come sit with me and we'll see if I can't find what attacked you."

He followed just behind me to my right back to my circle of books around Alister Creek's grave, "Take a seat and tell me what you saw," I told him as I took my previous seat, "Do you know what species it was?"

"I didn't realize there were different species," he mumbled and rubbed his face, "Though it kind of makes sense."

I sighed with a smile, reaching for the farthest book at the bottom of the pile, the one book I know by memory, "Okay, in this is the list of species," I lifted it with a grunt and gently dropped its worn binding in his large, equally worn hands, "This book is over four hundred years old. Be as gentle as possible with the pages, they've been specially preserved against the corrosive oils of our hands, but they aren't brand new."

"This book is almost three inches thick," he stated with a confused look, "How am I supposed to get through this thing?"

"Same way I do," I shrugged as I reached for the top of the pile closest to me, "Skim it."

There was a heavy sigh to my right and the creak of dried, old leather as Gabriel opened the cover, "Umm," his voice was uncertain, "We have a problem."

I looked up, my heart racing, thinking he'd harmed the books, but instead he was staring at the title of the book, "What?" I questioned reaching for the book to inspect it, "What's wrong?"

"It's not the book," he said with heavy tone, "I can't read whatever language that's written in."

I dropped my head into the books spin and laughed, shaking my head, "You can't read basic Latin?" I inquired disbelievingly, "It's like the first thing I was taught, right after English."

"Are you kidding me?" Gabriel huffed and dropped his shoulders, "You must have been, what, three?"

I rolled my eyes and reclined against Alister's headstone, "I was six when I was taught Latin," I informed him as I looked sidelong at him, "It's not that big of deal. Everyone in my family is taught multiple languages at a young age because of how often we needed to communicate with different cultures to gain such a vast well of knowledge of all the different types of creatures there are. It's a necessary evil really."

Gabriel watched me with a glazed over look, "So, you can just look at the pictures and see which looks closest," I added slowly.

"You have illustrations?" he asked shocked reaching for the book again and thumb through it.

"It would be kind hard to understand without a point of reference, Gabriel," I said slowly, "A lot of the creatures look similar, especially when you're just reading the description."

"This!" he exclaimed stabbing his finger at a page about a quarter of the way through the book, "This is what attacked us."

He spun the tome around in his hand with expert skill and pointed again to the page, "That?" I questioned with an eyebrow raised, "That thing is a Chimera. What the hell where you guys doing messing with a damn Chimera!"

"We got reports of a cat like thing attacking another team," he stopped and looked at me as I skimmed the text, "It was a real bitch. I barely made it out with my life and it took some ingested C-4 before it finally keeled over."

"You killed a Chimera," I asked stunned, "Which explosives? You killed this rare ass species with a damn bomb?"

"You say that like it's a bad thing," Gabriel muttered.

"Do you have any idea how rare a Chimera is!" I exclaimed and slammed the cover closed, "Do you know how much more rare it is for them to leave their natural habitat!"

I struggled to not drop the ancient book in my hands as I laid it back on the stack of others and went looking for the Monstrum Loca, Monster Habitats, "These things don't just leave the forest areas," I rambled as I quickly, but carefully flipped through the pages, trying to find the five pages dedicated to the Chimera, "They only leave when they're only natural predator chases them from it," my stomach clenched and I thought I'd vomit as my eyes followed the words my eyes read, "Oh, God. Where did you run into the Chimera? Like, exactly where?"

"Just outside the forest reserve on the southeastern side of Selena," he spoke slowly as he watched me pour over the hand written words, "It was stampeding through the farm territory out that way. Now that I think about it, it seemed pretty freaked out."

"She," I corrected him, "There are only female Chimera, the tail is male and they self-fertilize at the age of one hundred, they're peek maturity. They give birth to three pups, usually only one survives, but there is a rare occasion where all survive, but that only happens every few hundred years, but that's beside the point," I spun the book in my palm, sat it on my lap, then hurriedly scooped up my hair into a rough ponytail, "The point is the only thing that would put a _Chimera _into a panic like what you describe is their natural predator, as I was explaining before. The only thing that is their natural predator . . ." I rubbed my face and let out a breath, "It's been dead, extinct, for thousands of years, hundreds of thousands of years."

"What?" he asked when he saw my color drained face and panicked eyes and he laid a hand on my knee when he saw shaking, "What is it?"

"It's not possible, that's what," my voice shook as the familiar terror grip my heart tight, and all the memories I'd lost came back at once and my wide moss colored orbs, filled with pure fear, met his calm, concerned glacier blue ones, "That thing, the dragon species, that attached us at my house. It's something that . . . it's not good, Gabriel, not even slightly. It's ancient, like, beginning of time, ancient. That . . . monster you beat away from me was something called an Innuwarek Demon, something that hasn't been around in generations, Gabriel.

"These things," my voice shook identically to my hands as I reached up to push back a loose strand of hair, "They kill anything, Gabriel, anything and everything. These things are Summoned from the deepest, darkest pits of Hell itself, and whoever Summoned him . . . They would have had to sacrifice so much life to Raise it, more than just any one Necromancer or Resurrector can Summon with their own life force."

I looked from his eyes to his chest, something less intense, somewhere that wouldn't see the inevitable lie in my eyes, "This kind of sacrifice is human," my eyes teared up, my breath hitching, "So much life wasted, so many lights snuffed out. And for what?" I looked over to Alister's grave, a man whose life was probably also snuffed too soon, and laid a scared hand on it, "What about me is so damned important someone would kill dozens of innocent people just to Raise that monstrosity?"

Out the corner of my eye I saw Gabriel move and I turned reflexively to face him, my hand still pressed firmly to Alister Creek's headstone, and he took my free hand in between his two large ones, dwarfing mine, and said something I never expected to come from anyone, "This isn't your fault," Gabriel consoled my softly reaching up with a free hand and wiping my tear away with his thumb, "You aren't responsible for whatever horrible, evil deeds those murders do. You aren't them."

The words struck hard in my heart and I felt a draw to Gabriel that frightened me beyond comprehension, and try as I might not to, I pulled away internally, "We have to find them, Gabriel," I growled through my teeth as I turned to look at Alister's stone once more, feeling the weight of guilt that wasn't mine, "We have to find them and stop them before they hurt more people."

Gabriel should have questioned me, should have doubted me, but his steely gaze captured mine, "Where do we need to start?" was all he asked.

For some reason beyond me, my heart leapt in my chest and relief I hadn't felt in hours raced through my veins, and I wondered, not for the first time, why this stranger affected me in a way no other person had before, "I'll . . ." I stammered and blushed turning my eyes away from where they had landed on his firm lips, "I'll need to do some more reading, more research. I've never heard of anything like this before, much less actually encountered it."

"How will I be able to reach you when I need to?" he asked letting the hand he'd been holding drop from his warm grasp and I instantly felt the loss of it, "How will you be able to reach me when the time comes?"

I spun in place, turning to start gathering my books, "Do you have a phone?" I inquired as I gathered my bag on my shoulder and stood, Gabriel following suit.

He reached into his pocket, fished out a pen and awkwardly looked around for something to write on. I laughed at the boyish expression that over took his features and extended my hand, "Write it here," I chuckled, "It's as a good a place as any."

"Thanks," he mumbled and wrote down number on my palm, making my skin tingle at the contact of our flesh. When Gabriel finished, I drew my hand back, balling it in a fist and shaking it nervously, trying to make the sensation dissipate.

"I'll text you when I know something," I suggested after we'd stood standing for a few long seconds.

"Or call?" he offered with his hands in his front pockets, his thumbs hanging in his belt loops, "You could call, too, if you wanted. I'm not saying you have to, just letting you know the option is open and everything."

I laughed softly and began to walk past him, toward the gate, "If I find something out I'll let you know, Gabriel," I informed him. I needed desperately to get out of this cemetery and away from Gabriel. He put me off my center and I needed to focus, now more than ever. I needed to find out how to Summon an Innuwarek Demon, which would be a step in the right direction. Yes, my resolve solidified, that was a step one, after that I would decide was step two would be.

"How will I know where to find you?" he called in a rush and I heard the grass under his feet protest as he spun on his heels to face the way I was leaving, "Ya know, if I can't get a hold of you, or don't have time to wait?"

I slowed my walk and turned, still walking, only backwards, and I smiled at him, "Gabriel, just call when you need me," I laughed and tucked a strained of hair the light breeze had knocked loose from my rushed ponytail, "I'll find you."

Then I turned back and kept walking toward the entrance to the graveyard, chuckling as I heard Gabriel mumble to himself.

I didn't make it far, maybe three steps, from the gate of the cemetery before something collided with me and knocked me to the hard pavement. I must have hit my head when I landed because my vision was blurred around the edges and I saw little white spots everywhere, "And I thought seeing stars was just an expression," I mumbled and heaved myself up, stumbling like a drunk, "I guess I was wrong."

When I managed to get to my feet, I grabbed my head and felt a wet spot, "Please don't be blood," I pleaded as I drew my hand back and saw the crimson stain on my palm, "Damn, that's gonna smart in the morning."

I looked up and saw something I'd never seen outside of my books, a rare creature that few have ever come across. Its power was so intense I could feel it pulsing through the air around me.

"Angel!" I heard Gabriel call out, his words filled with fear. I could hear the fallen branches and leaves crunch under his fast foot falls as he raced towards me.

"I'm fine," I called back as I dusted myself off and watched the curious thing in front me, "It's just a Forest Hound."

The Hound whined, a sound like the creaking of tree branches in the wind, and hunkered down as I approached, hand outstretched, "Don't worry, little guy," I cooed soft and sat cross-legged on the dirt, waiting for him to come to me, "What are you doing all the way out here? Shouldn't you be somewhere deep in the woods?"

He slowly approached me, his viney legs with thorn claws making no sound on the ground, and sniffed my relaxed fist before nuzzling into it. I stroked his velvet soft, viney form, the leaves that grew down his spine and ears curl at my touch.

"Is this another thing that Innu-whatchama-call-it demon thing scared out?" came Gabriel's voice softly from inside the gated cemetery.

The Forest Hound looked up at Gabriel and turned his head to the side, as if assessing Gabriel, "It's called an Innuwarek Demon," I corrected with a smirk and continued to stroke the Hound's branched flesh, "And yes, I think it is. These Hounds only live in the deepest forest and jungles, place mankind has never ventured. They protect it and help promote growth and health. It was believed that, with the expansion of civilization, they had died out, or were so few in number they would be extinct in a few generations."

I stood and the Forest Hound came to my side, sitting beside my legs, its head lying on my stomach, "This tells us something very important, Gabriel," I informed him, my tone serious, "Whatever is happening, is happening in the deep woods. We're close to the boarder, it's just a state away, which means that in Mexico, or Central America, even South America, where the forests and jungles are thickest, and there is a big, bad evil brewing."

"How can you be sure?" he questioned watching me stroke the Hound between the ears, "How do you know it's not in the states somewhere?"

"You see how big this Hound is?" I probed to which he nodded, "They don't get this large outside of the deepest, densest tropics. That rules out anywhere overseas, these guys can't go long without being near, as in within a hundred feet of, forest for more than a day maybe, and they aren't expert swimmers either. Which leaves us south of the American boarder, and based on the type of greenery he has, I'd say the Amazon Rainforest because everything about him says tropics, though Central America isn't entirely ruled out."

Gabriel stared at me in awe, his face a feature I couldn't figure out, which caused a deep crimson blush to envelope my cheeks and neck, "What?" I asked self-consciously.

"You are brilliant," he smiled leaning against the gate and I blushed even harder.

"Thanks," I chuckled nervously, looking down in at the Hound whose large dark brown eyes looked back at mine, "Anyways, I need to get back and do some more work, talk to some people who may know more."

Gabriel waved, "I'll see ya when I see ya then," he said then turned back toward the cemetery and walked away, looking back at me once and shook his head as he continued.

I turned toward the Hound, "Now, what are we going to do with you?" I questioned him and stroked his jaw line, "I live miles from any woods or I'd take you with me. Will you just stay around here?"

His head tilted sideways, ears leaned forward, as he listened to me speck, his bright eyes showing vast intelligence and depth in emotion. He did a full body shake when I mentioned staying and whined, making the sound of stressed branches in heavy wind, "I know you can't go home," I cooed at him, moving to stroke his ears, "That damned Innuwarek Demon is going to be a problem, but I don't know how to kill one."

I looked up to the tree line, into the cloudy sky, and wondered what was going to happen next. Things were getting crazier and crazier as the days passed. Some secret society, that Gabriel was attached to, rescued us somehow, then whipped my memory after I passed out from the attack of the Hell Twins on my way home with Ulrich, and my father's mind had been altered and meddled with by someone who wanted me alone and vulnerable, problem the same people who have been sending creatures to kill me. Now, to top it all off, I have an extremely rare beast in need of shelter and protection. The Hound nosed my palm when I had stopped petting him and it brought my gaze back to him, "I have no idea what to do," I conceded in a huff and slowly sat on the worn road beneath me, leaning my head on the beast's shoulder and he laid his head on the top of mine, "I don't have anywhere to keep you safe."

An idea came to me in a rush and I slapped my forehead with an open palm for being so daft, "My grandmother!" I cheered aloud hugging the creature at my side, "She lives in the woods, pretty deep too. You can stay with her! She can take care of you for sure!"

I pulled out my phone and called her up, telling her what I thought was safe to tell, "Do you think you could take him in?" I begged, "I would be more than happy to, what his is aside, but I live too far from any sort of greenery."

"Angel," she spoke softly with a light laugh, stopping my pleas in their tracks, "I would be honored that the Forest Hound chooses to live along side me in these woods. Send him my way, tell him my true name, and he can find me; they are an old kind and have magic that runs deep in their veins."

I smiled and shook my head, feeling silly for worrying, "Alright, Grandmother," I chuckled softly, "I'll send him your way, given that's what he chooses to do."

We said our goodbyes and I placed my phone back in my pocket, turning to the Hound. I leaned into his ear and whispered my grandmother's name and the Hound bowed his head to me before nuzzling my cheek, and stood before slowly heading to the trees then disappearing the brush.


End file.
